


Bless Yore Beautiful Hide

by ericsonclan



Series: Bless Yore Beautiful Hide [1]
Category: The Walking Dead (Telltale Video Game)
Genre: F/F, F/M, Family, Gen, Hijinks & Shenanigans, Musicals
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-07-06
Updated: 2020-11-24
Packaged: 2021-03-05 00:00:48
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 23
Words: 46,924
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25115041
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ericsonclan/pseuds/ericsonclan
Summary: After deciding to marry Kenny after only knowing him for a day, Katjaa goes up to the farm to meet his adopted children. She wonders how big her new family will be.
Relationships: Aasim/Ruby (Walking Dead: Done Running), Brody/Mitch (Walking Dead: Done Running), Clementine/Louis (Walking Dead: Done Running), Katjaa/Kenny (Walking Dead), Louis & Violet (Walking Dead: Done Running), Marlon/Sophie (Walking Dead: Done Running), Mitch & Violet (Walking Dead: Done Running), Prisha/Violet (Walking Dead: Done Running), Willy & Garbage (Walking Dead: Done Running)
Series: Bless Yore Beautiful Hide [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1819105
Comments: 10
Kudos: 16





	1. Meeting the Ericson Kids

**Author's Note:**

> (first chapter by Linnea, all others by Laura)

Katjaa looked at the lovely scenery passing by as the wagon rolled along. It was such a beautiful location that Kenny lived in. She glanced over to her husband, his hands pulling on the reins to guide the horses down the dirt road. She couldn’t believe that she had agreed to marry him after only knowing him for a day. What's more, she couldn’t believe she had married a man who already had children. He'd told her that he had a lot of kids, she assumed probably from a previous marriage. Butterflies were fluttering in her stomach at the thought of meeting them. She always wanted kids and now she was going to be the mother of five. She never heard him say the specific number of kids, but it surely couldn’t be more than five.

“You doing okay over there?” Kenny asked with concern, glancing over at her.

“I’m fine. Just nervous to meet everyone.”

“Don’t be! They’re gonna love you. They’re all really good kids so I’m sure you’ll love ‘em too.” He gave a bright smile in her direction which she returned in kind. 

“Speaking of which... we’re here.” He slowed down the wagon, patting one of the horses before jumping down. Kenny quickly ran over to Kajaa’s side, placing his arm gently around her waist to help her down. It took no time for their presence to be noticed as Katjaa looked over at the house to see a young blonde man standing there. His hair was styled in a mullet and his face covered in dirt. He looked back at her with a curious expression, his eyes searching hers. 

Suddenly a yell was heard from across the yard as another young man appeared, sprinting towards the blonde one, his dreadlocks bouncing as he made his way over. As he ran by his hands grasped the blonde boy's pants and with a quick tug the pants fell. 

“Dammit, Louis!” The boy screamed at the other who ran away giggling. He tried to chase after him but had seemed to have forgotten that his pants had fallen, so when he tried to run he only ended up making it a few steps before faceplanting on the ground with a groan.

Kenny gave a good-hearted laugh. “I see you’ve met Marlon and Louis. They can get a bit rowdy. If you’ll just follow me through here.” He gestured towards the door. 

She wasn’t expecting that to be her first introduction to her kids and she wasn’t expecting them to be that old. Katjaa was still trying to process what had happened when she heard loud footsteps echoing through the house. 

“Cut it out, Mitch! Give me back my journal!” A voice rang out. 

Out of nowhere another young man appeared, his brown hair flowing back slightly thanks to his speed, a smug grin on his dirt-covered face as he ran by. “Admit it’s a diary and then I’ll give it back!” he called out to a boy with a small goatee who seemed to be around the same age as him. 

His face was red with anger as he gave chase. “Mitch, you piece of shit! It’s a journal! How many fucking times do I have to say it!” The two soon disappeared from Katjaa’s view as they made their way through the house, the sounds of books and other items falling following closely behind them. 

“That there was Mitch and Aasim. They may seem like they don’t get along, but they do. They just give each other a hard time. You know how boys can be.” Kenny flashed a smile towards her before continuing the tour of the house. Entering the laundry room, the two soon ran into the youngest child so far who seemed to be holding some sort of object behind him.

“Hey there, A.J. Whatcha got there?”

The six year old proudly displayed a shiv. “I made it myself.”

Kenny walked forward, ruffling his hair. “Good job, kiddo!” 

The kid ran off, barreling through the front door and out to the yard. 

Katjaa couldn’t believe what she had just seen.

“Oh, I should show you the area out back.” Kenny swung open a door nearby, holding it open for his wife. 

“Thank you.” She replied with a smile. She wanted to bring up what she had just seen but figured she'd wait till after the tour was done. After all, she had just met all the kids, hadn’t she? She looked around the area. It was a beautiful spot with many wonderful, large trees all of which had the most colorful green leaves she had ever seen. 

Her eyes were suddenly drawn to one of the trees as a young adult stared back at her. Their pale green eyes studied her cautiously, their arms crossed while leaning against a tree branch. A young kid seemed to be making their way up towards them.

“Come on, Vi!” the younger sibling whined. “I want a turn on that tree!”

The older sibling glanced down at the kid, rolling their eyes in irritation. “Get you own fucking tree!” They hissed in annoyance. 

The younger pouted before scurrying up a nearby tree and swinging from one of the branches as he gleefully laughed. 

“Vi can be a bit prickly.” Kenny's eyes motioned towards the older sibling. “But Willy can also be a little terror, so it balances out.” He looked proudly at his kids. 

Just how many kids did Kenny have? This had to be the end, right?

“That reminds me, you haven't seen the kitchen yet.” He took her hand, guiding her back into the house, going through some other rooms before arriving at their destination. 

There, standing by the stove, was yet another kid looking to be around the age of sixteen. He looked over towards her. “Hello, I just started a pot of water. Do you want some tea?” He had a very calming voice.

“I’d love that. Thank you.” Katjaa gave a warm smile. When she went to go sit at the table she noticed another kid who sat there quietly drawing, a huge pile of charcoal beside him.

He looked up at her with a gentle smile. “Hi.”

“Hello, I’m Katjaa. What’s your name?”

“Tennessee, but you can just call me Tenn.” He pointed over towards the other boy. “He’s Omar by the way.” Tenn awkwardly fidgeted with his hands. “Do you wanna draw?”

“I’d love too.” Katjaa accepted a piece of charcoal just as Kenny had taken a seat beside her. She turned to her husband. “Kenny, when you said you had a lot of kids I thought you meant four or five. But instead you have nine boys!”

“Eight.”

“What?”

“Eight boys. Vi’s a girl.” 

Katjaa glanced back at him with a small look of surprise before continuing. “That’s a lot of kids.”

“A lot to love.” Kenny added with a beaming smile. 

Katjaa didn’t know exactly how to respond to that. She looked outside the window, noticing Louis who was still avoiding Marlon who ran by using less than friendly words. It was a lot to process. There were so many more kids than she had anticipated. But maybe that wouldn’t be such a bad thing.


	2. Going to a Barn Raising

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kenny and Katjaa take the kids to a barn raising in town and they get to meet some of the local girls.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> (by Laura)

The Ericson kids chattered excitedly as they headed down to the barn-raising together in the horse-drawn wagon, Kenny at the helm with Katjaa beside him. Katjaa smiled fondly as she watched the kids buzzing with anticipation. They’d all cleaned up so nicely from the backwoods vagabonds they’d presented themselves as when Kenny first brought her home. To think that she’d end up the foster mother to nine children… it certainly wasn’t where she’d seen her future headed, but now she didn’t want things to be any other way. 

Hopefully everything would go smoothly today. The last time they’d headed into town Mitch had gotten into a bit of a brawl with some of the local boys. The kids had all promised to be on their best behavior today though. Katjaa couldn’t wait to show her brood off to all the townsfolk.

As the horses came to a stop, Katjaa spotted some of the young ladies she knew from her old sewing club. She waved warmly to them, pleasantly surprised when they hurried over to greet her.

“Katjaa!” Brody exclaimed, her eyes bright with joy. “We’ve missed you! Richmond isn’t the same without you!”

“It really isn’t,” Ruby agreed. “I can’t believe you let yourself get swept away at a moment’s notice by some mysterious woodsman… though it is awful romantic,” Her eyes shot up to Kenny and she blushed in embarrassment realizing how blunt her words must seem.

Kenny chuckled. “That’s alright, missy. It’s a pleasure to meet some of Katjaa’s old friends. So many of ya too. Though I must say you all look a mite younger, more in line with my boys and-” he paused as he caught the looks his kids were giving the newcomers. 

Louis’ mouth was wide open, and Mitch and Marlon’s faces weren’t much better, staring openly at the girls who’d come over. Violet wasn’t staring, but she seemed equally overwhelmed, her eyes glued to the floorboards. 

Only Willy’s attention seemed drawn elsewhere.“Is that… a possum?” he gasped, pointing toward a picnic table where a possum sat wearing a blue ribbon. Without waiting for an answer, he leapt from the wagon, racing over to see the animal up close. A.J. and Tenn were right behind him, Omar following after them in the direction of the picnic tables.

Sophie drew their attention back as she poked her head out from behind Ruby. “Got anything you need help carrying, Katjaa? Our hands are free,”

“Well, there are quite a few things in the back,” 

Before Sophie could reach it, Marlon leapt down from the wagon, tipping his hat to her. “If you don’t mind, I’d love to carry that for you,”

Sophie looked pleasantly flustered at the offer. “Alright then. Right this way,” The two wandered off towards the tables together.

“We can all carry somethin’ for ya. C’mon girls,” Ruby motioned for the others to join before heading forward.

Aasim had already grabbed a basket of food. “My lady,” He leapt down gracefully, offering her his arm. Ruby took it readily, a light blush dusting her cheeks.

Katjaa smiled to herself. She’d hoped the kids would make connections with others their age at the barn raising. It looked like each of them had become equally smitten with the Richmond girls.

Brody reached for the water jug, but Mitch quickly snatched it up. “I couldn’t have a little lady like you carrying something so heavy,” he said, stepping down beside her.

“Uhh, OK,” Brody said with a good-natured shrug as the two began to walk away together. “I’m actually pretty strong though,”

Clementine was next in line. She looked up at Louis who was clinging on to an apple pie as if his life depended on it. She quirked an eyebrow, amused at his expression. “If you’ll just follow me…”

“To the ends of the earth,” Louis murmured. His eyes widened as he realized what he’d just said out loud.

Clem’s eyes were just as large. She recovered first though, reaching up to give him a hand down and guiding him over to the food tables.

Only Violet was left in the wagon. She was staring at Prisha, the last girl there, her eyes full of a mix of emotions Katjaa couldn’t quite place.

Prisha seemed equally captivated. Wordlessly, she reached out her arms, silently beckoning for something to be handed to her as she continued to watch Violet.

Kenny awkwardly cleared his throat. “Actually, that’s everything,”

Prisha’s face fell, embarrassed by her absent-mindedness.

Immediately, Violet scampered down from the wagon, standing before Prisha, hat in hand. “May I have the honor of escorting you back?”

Prisha’s eyes lit up at the offer. “The honor would be mine,” she replied, lightly intertwining her arm with Violet’s.

As the two hurried off together, Kenny’s eyes narrowed. “I don’t know about all this, Kat. It’s a lot for the kids to take in. And the other youth here seem awful… friendly,”

Katjaa chuckled, patting his knee. “You worry too much. Things are going wonderfully. It looks like the kids are getting to experience the beauty of young love,”

Kenny’s eyes widened in shock. “Love?!”

“What exactly did you think was happening?”

“I don’t know.. it’s just, well,” Kenny sputtered agitatedly. “Love’s an awful strong word. I don’t want the kids getting their hearts broken,”

“I don’t think they will. The girls all seem to like them too. Well, all of them except the possum perhaps,” The pair looked over to see Willy excitedly leaping round Richmond’s prize possum who was angrily hissing at him, her fangs bared.

“That boy’s going to get himself bit if he’s not careful,” Kenny shook his head wearily. He hopped down from the wagon, then turned to Katjaa, offering her his hand. “C’mon. Let’s go get settled before the dancing starts,”

“Alright,” Katjaa let her husband help her down then made her way with him towards the tables, smiling as she saw the kids interacting with each other. It truly was something special to have a family all her own.


	3. A Haphazard Plan

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mitch hears news about Brody that spurs him to action along with his siblings.

“This is bullshit!” Mitch shouted as he barged into the barn, the doors slamming behind him. The other kids looked up from their chores in surprise.

“Everything OK, Mitch?” Louis asked, raising an eyebrow.

“No! Everything’s crap!” Mitch angrily kicked a bucket. “Omar just came back with Katjaa from their trip to resupply in town and he said.. he said…” Mitch’s voice caught before his eyes hardened in anger. “Brody’s engaged!”

The rest of the kids murmured in surprise.

“Who to?” Marlon asked.

“Some asshole in town. I think I know the one,” Mitch scoffed. “He was sniffing around her back at the barn raising and Brody was trying to avoid him all day. Her parents must’ve arranged it. No way she’d want to be with a prick like that!”

“Man, that sucks, Mitch,” Louis came over to put a sympathetic hand on his shoulder. Mitch slapped it away in annoyance. “It sucks for you too! Don’t you know what this means? Before you know it all the girls are gonna get married off!”

“What?” Louis’ eyes widened in shock. “No, that can’t be right. Clem isn’t nearly old enough to-”

“Brody is only two years older than Clementine,” Aasim noted. “Clementine’s perfectly marriageable by today’s standards,”

“Well then, so is Ruby!” Louis countered. “What, do you think she’s gonna wait around for you to mail her all those love poems you’ve been storing under your bed?”

“What have you been doing snooping under my bed?” Aasim sputtered in anger.

“So I was right! They are love poems!”

“Guys, it doesn’t matter!” Violet declared, waving her arms for attention as she crouched upon the ladder. “None of their parents would agree to you as suitors anyway after the shit we pulled at the barn raising,”

“That was their own damn fault!” Mitch snapped. “We were trying to behave for Katjaa’s sake and they go and hit Kenny? Even Kat agreed they went too far!”

“Plus, don’t you want to at least throw your hat in the ring, Vi?” Louis asked. “You and Prisha seemed awful close during the dance,”

Violet scowled, looking down at the dirt floor. “She thinks I’m a dude. There’s no chance there,”

Before Louis could counter, Mitch slammed his hand down on one of the stall fences. “That’s it! I’m going into town tonight and getting Brody!”

“Getting her and doing what exactly?” Marlon asked, his arms crossed.

“Saving her from this sham of a marriage her parents have set up! If I don’t help her, who will?”

“Still, it seems like there must be a better way around this,” Marlon pondered.

Mitch stared at him in disbelief. “Really, Marlon? You think talking to her parents will work? Guess what else Omar told me? He said that the news in town was that Sophie’s due to get married next. Her parents have lined her up with some rich guy Kenny’s age whose moving out here in a month!”

Marlon’s eyes darkened at those words. “I’ll hitch up the horses,” he said, striding into the first stall.

“What the shit? You guys can’t be serious!” Louis’ eyes were large. “What do you plan to do when their parents come looking for the girls? Fight them?”

“The pass is due to close any day now,” Marlon countered, throwing a blanket over one of the horses. “We get them up here, make a racket, and the snow will block the exit for 4-5 months. We’ll figure out what to do next once we’ve bought that time,”

“You guys are nuts,” Aasim’s words were full of disdain.

“Oh, yeah?” Mitch shot back. “Well, you can’t stop us. And guess what? Once this is done, Ruby’s folks won’t let you anywhere near her. They’ll probably send her away to get married off in some other town to protect her from the likes of you and the rest of the Ericsons,”

Aasim’s eyes widened in shock. “You’re forcing our hands? You’re saying that because you’re about to fly off the handle the rest of us have to as well or lose any shot with the girls? Screw you, 

I’m not going to be a part of this,”

“I’ll go,” Louis stated, his eyes firm.

Everyone looked shocked.

“Really, Louis?” Aasim exclaimed. “You too? I thought you’d be above something like this!”

“If we let these two go off on their own, they’ll just end up getting themselves arrested or worse! If I go, maybe I can help things from getting out of hand, and… I gotta see Clem. Maybe if she knows how I feel, then she’ll wait for me till spring when the pass opens up again,”

Mitch snorted in derision. “Right, you talk to her and see how well that goes. She’ll be married off by springtime whether she wants it or not. Meanwhile Marlon and I will actually do something to help Brody and Sophie out of their predicament,”

“Fine. I’ll go too,” Aasim declared. “You three will accomplish nothing on your own. Damn you three and your tomfoolery, but if we’re going to do this, we’re doing it right. We need a plan, one that involves helping Brody and Sophie and nothing else,”

“I can’t believe this!” Violet interrupted angrily. “We’re kidnapping these girls because all of you have crushes? Seriously? Screw all of you, I’m telling Kenny. He’ll shut this all down,” She hopped down from the ladder, heading toward the barn doors. Mitch and Marlon blocked them, their stance firm.

“Vi, wait,” Louis reached out, taking Violet’s arm. “Please, you gotta understand, this isn’t something we’re doing lightly. Brody and Sophie’s lives are about to be turned upside down against their will if we don’t help them. If it was Prisha being forced into a marriage she didn’t want, wouldn’t you want to help her even if you had no shot in the world with her? Just to help her be happy,”

Violet was silent, thinking back to the barn raising and the minutes before they’d been forced to leave after the fight. Prisha had come over with a wet kerchief, dabbing at the cuts and bruises on Violet’s face before she could say anything in protest. It was only after Prisha’s father came up, angrily dragging her away from the ‘hooligans’ that they’d broken eye contact. Violet was left holding the damp kerchief in her hands.

Violet sighed, raising her eyes to meet Louis’. “You’re full of shit, you and Aasim. As soon as you’re down there you’re gonna grab Clem and Ruby, same as Mitch and Marlon will do with their girls,” She let out a heavy sigh. “But fuck it. If this is how things are going to be, I’m coming along. Not to take Prisha. To let her know who I really am. I don’t want her thinking you guys risked everything for your girls and I didn’t even bother to show up. I owe her that,”

Louis nodded, a small smile on his face. “Thank you,” He turned to the others. “We’ve gotta get the wagon ready and head out quick before Kenny wonders where we all are,”

Each of them got to work. Within minutes they were ready to go, opening the barn doors slowly as they eased the horses out onto the freshly fallen snow. Once they were all out they shut the doors behind them, ready to slip off into the night.

“What are you guys up to?”

They all flinched, turning to see Willy looking at them with wide eyes.

“Uhhh…” Louis began, his mind racing to find an excuse.

“We’re going to get the girls,” Mitch said simply. “And you’re not going to tell anybody,”

“You’re going into town?” Willy asked, not seeming to pick up on the importance of what Mitch has said. “Can I come? I want to see Garbage,”

“Who?”

Violet rolled her eyes. “It’s what he named that possum he’s obsessed with,”

“Wait, did you say you’re getting the girls?” Willy asked, Mitch’s words catching up to him. He hopped up, scrambling into the back of the wagon. “If you’re bringing them here to visit, then I’m bringing Garbage!”

The others shared a worried look. There wasn’t time to argue. If a pissed off possum was going to be thrown into the mix, so be it. With that Marlon slapped the reins, starting the horses down the road to the pass, Richmond, and the girls they so desperately wanted to see.


	4. Then it All Went Wrong

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Ericson siblings head into Richmond to get the girls.

Richmond was silent as they made their way down the town’s streets. Tying the horses to a hitching post, Marlon turned around to review the plan. “Alright. We’re only going to have a few minutes to make this work. Mitch and I will grab Brody and Sophie with Aasim along to assist. Louis and Violet will go talk to Clementine and Prisha. Willy… do whatever you need to do but no matter what you must be back here in 15 minutes. Understand?”

Willy nodded excitedly, lifting up his empty potato sack. “I’m ready!”

The others confirmed they were also prepared before splitting up, creeping along the sides of buildings amongst the shadows as they made their way to their quarries.

Marlon was the first to find his target, spotting Sophie through a window. He and Aasim crouched underneath while Mitch moved on in search of Brody. Marlon felt his heart pounding as he clung to the quilt he’d taken along. He was doing the right thing, wasn’t he? Sophie couldn’t possibly be happy being married off to a man old enough to be her father. Even if she didn’t want to be with him because of what he done, Marlon knew this would give her more time to figure out what she really wanted. He could at least give her that.

The door opened, casting light out onto the porch. Sophie stepped out, wishing the family she was visiting a fond farewell. Marlon waited for Aasim’s signal to go before he emerged from the shadows. “Sophie?”

Sophie let out a startled cry before socking Marlon directly in the face. He double over in pain, clutching his bleeding nose.

“Shit, Marlon? Is that you? You startled me,” Sophie exclaimed, putting a hand to her chest. “Wait, what are you doing all the way in Richmond in the middle of the night?”

“I don’t have much time to explain. Soph-” Before Marlon could say anything further, the door opened again. He felt his heart stop in horror as Ruby stepped outside, holding something in her hand.

“Soph, you forgot your glove!” She paused on the bottom porch step, looking confused. “Marlon?”

Aasim jumped out from the bushes, throwing his quilt over Ruby and hoisting her up. “We can’t have any witnesses! Now, Marlon!”

Before Sophie could react, Marlon had thrown the quilt on top of her and tossed her over his shoulder. The two boys ran back toward the wagon, hoping the others would be close behind.

\---

It didn’t take long for Mitch to find Brody’s house. He remembered her saying something about her dad collecting weathervanes and how they had over a dozen on their roof. As he made his way through the back yard, he could hear voices talking softly. Someone was on the back porch. Drawing closer, he started to make out the words.

“Seriously, c’mon, Brody! We’re getting married in a week! The least you could do me is give me a little _something_ before the wedding,”

“Bill, I already told you I don’t want to! Now if you could just go for the night I think that would be best,”

“Don’t be like that. C’mon…”

Mitch turned the corner of the house. He could see the boy cupping Brody’s chin. His stomach twisted with rage.

“Just close your eyes, OK? It’ll be over soon,” Bill whispered.

Brody scrunched her eyes shut, trying to stay calm.

Before Bill could make a move, Mitch delivered a knockout blow to the back of his skull. He crumpled like a rag doll, causing Brody to open her eyes in shock.

“Mitch! What are you doing here?”

“Brody! I – I…” she looked so pretty with her wide blue eyes, cheeks flushed from the snow. Before he could think better of it, Mitch grabbed her shoulders, capturing her lips in a passionate kiss. He felt Brody’s shoulders go limp, melting into the kiss.

When he pulled away, she looked happily dazed. “Well, gosh…” she murmured.

“Brody, I promise I’ll explain later, but for now we gotta go, OK?”

“Go? Go where?”

“Brody, did you leave the door open?” a voice called from inside. “I can feel a chill!”

“Shit,” Mitch growled. “We gotta run,” Before Brody could question him further he had thrown the quilt he was carrying over her and picked her up bridal style, running desperately through the yard. They weren’t going to have much time to escape. Hopefully the others were being quick.

\---

 _This is taking fucking forever,_ Violet thought to herself as she crouched at Prisha’s back door, meowing pitifully. Was this really the best plan she could come up with? Apparently it was since she’d already been at it for five minutes. Would Prisha even be the one to come to the door? What would she think when she saw her like this? She couldn’t give up now though.

“Meoooow,” a simpering voice came from behind her.

Violet spun around to see one of the guys she’d fought at the barn raising standing before her, his arms crossed.

“What’s a twerp like you doing here?” the man growled. “Trying to move in on my turf? News flash: Prisha already has a suitor. She isn’t looking for any others,”

 _A suitor? Of fucking course she does,_ Violet looked away from him, not wanting to make eye contact. “I’ll go. I was just-”

“Just what? Hoping that imitating a sick cat would somehow win her affection? You really are as much of a creep as everyone says. Maybe I’d better make sure my message got through that thick skull of yours,” He took a step forward, crouching over Violet menacingly.

Violet’s muscles tensed, ready to attack. Before she could though, she heard another sound behind the man. “Meoooowwww,” A dull thud sounded against the back of the man’s skull and his eyes rolled into the back of his head as he fell to the ground with a flop. A red brick lay on the snow beside him. Violet looked up to see Willy leaning over the fence.

“You okay, Vi?”

Violet nodded, gulping. “Yeah, I’m fine. Thanks,”

“You’d better hurry. We’ve only got like 8 minutes left,” Willy held up his potato sack, from which various rustling and hissing sounds could be heard. “I got Garbage so I’m good to go. See you there?”

“Yeah,”

Willy disappeared behind the fence, and Violet was left to wonder whether she should continue her meowing charade or attempt something else. Before she could ponder the matter further though, the back door opened and Prisha was standing before her looking surprised.

“Vi? What are you doing here?” Her eyes fell to the unconscious suitor behind Violet. “What in the world?...”

“He’s fine, just unconscious,” Violet assured her, though she wasn’t entirely sure herself. “Prisha, there’s just something I’ve got to tell you then I’ll be out of your life forever,”

“Out of my life? Is something wrong?”

“I’m… I’m not who you think I am. My brothers are out there doing something that means I won’t be able to see you again, so before that happens I just wanted you to know that I… I think you’re beautiful,”

Prisha blushed at the words, a smile brightening her face. “Vi, I-”

“No, let me finish,” Violet’s eyes widened at her own bluntness. “Sorry. I didn’t mean to shush you. I just need you to know why I’m not taking you away tonight like my brothers are with their girls. It’s not ‘cause I don’t like you. I do. A _lot_. It’s because-”

“What if you did?” Prisha interrupted.

“What?”

“What if you did take me away? Right now,” Prisha’s gaze met hers equally.

“Prisha, I couldn’t. You don’t understand. I’m-”

“Prisha, is there someone there?” a voice called from inside. 

The girls locked eyes. Violet could hear her heart threatening to pound through her chest. She tried to read the expression on Prisha’s face. What did she mean “what if”? Did she want this to happen? Fuck it, there was no time to ask confirmation. She hadn’t brought a quilt with her. Instead, Violet scrambled out of her coat, tossing it over Prisha’s head and picking her up. She was doing this. Violet scrambled out of the backyard, hoping that the fact that Prisha wasn’t fighting back meant that she’d made the right call.

\---

It took way too long to find Clementine’s house. Louis cursed himself under his breath for his shitty sense of direction as he crouched beside the open window to Clementine’s house, the smell of freshly baked pie wafting through the air. There had to be only a few minutes left before he’d need to head back to the others and flee. Only a few minutes to try to communicate everything he was feeling within his heart. How could he possibly hope to accomplish that?

Footsteps in the kitchen let him know that Clementine was approaching the window, likely to place the pie on the windowsill to cool. Taking one last deep breath, he stepped out of the shadows and into the light. “Clementine?”

“Louis?” Clementine leaned forward, opening the window further to get a better look outside. “What’s going on? Why are you in my backyard in the middle of the night?”

“Clem, I’m here… I’m here to tell you I love you,” _Did I actually just say that?_

Clementine’s cheeks were pink, he didn’t know whether from the pie or his words. “Louis…”

“Look, I know that’s crazy. I know we’ve only met one time and you must think I’m a loon for saying something that heavy this early into knowing you. Trust me, if I had more time, I’d being doing this properly: waiting a few months before asking to see you, coming over to court you in your parlor, talking to your parents. But Clem…” Louis felt the words catching in his throat. He had to get through this, had to get everything out. “Clem, there’s not time. I’m not sure if I’ll get to see you again. So I wanted to come here to ask you in person, even if there’s every chance I’ll get shot down,”

“Lou, what are you talking about? Why would we not be able to see each other?” Clem’s face was twisted in concern.

Louis took another step forward, standing on his toes to get closer to Clementine. God, she was so beautiful. The most beautiful girl he’d probably ever see in his life. “Clementine…”

Before he could say anything more, the clanging of a bell rang through the night. Both of their heads turned in the direction of the sound.

 _Shit. They’re sounding the alarm. I’m out of time._ Louis turned back to Clementine. The fear in her eyes, the worry, was it for him? Did she feel even a little bit for him the way he did for her? He felt like he could get lost in those eyes; he couldn’t let himself be torn away from them. _Fuck, Vi was right after all._

“Clem, before I do this, I just want to say I’m really sorry,”

“Do what? Lou-”

He cut Clementine’s sentence short, wrapping his arms around her and pulling her through the window. Before she could react, Louis tossed her over his shoulder and began running in the direction of the wagon. This situation was fucked. The one mercy was how close her house had turned out being to where they’d hitched the horses after he’d wandered through the rest of Richmond in search of it. Hopefully his long legs would come in handy for once.

\---

“We can’t wait much longer,” Mitch growled, holding the struggling bundle that was Brody tightly against him.

“Just give them another minute!” Marlon hissed, in a similar struggle with Sophie. “They’ll be here!”

“There’s Vi! Willy whisper shouted, pointing to a small figure scurrying across the street, a larger figure thrown over their shoulder. Violet hopped up onto the wagon, holding a surprisingly still Prisha in her arms. The boys looked at her in shock.

“You took her?” Aasim questioned. “What about everything you said about telling her the truth?”

“What about everything you said about only grabbing Brody and Sophie?” Violet snapped, looking at the lumpy bundle Aasim was grasping that surely must be Ruby.

Aasim was about to come up with his own retort, but Marlon shushed him. “Alright, we’re only missing Louis now. Has anyone seen him?”

Everyone shook their heads.

“Shit. Where could he be?”

“Is that him?” Mitch asked. They all looked down the street to see Louis unceremoniously dragging Clementine behind him, trying to lift up her legs while still muffling her cries of protest with one hand. Clementine must have bit down on said hand because Louis drew it back with a yelp. Clementine let out a single scream before the hand went over her mouth again. Footsteps and chatter could be heard coming from nearby. The townspeople had risen. They were out of time.

“Hurry the fuck up, Lou!” Mitch called, taking Sophie from Marlon as he moved to untie the horses. This was bad. They’d figured that between the 6 of them they could handle two girls. But _five_ girls? They were fucked.

Louis frantically step-ran the rest of the way to the wagon, throwing Clementine onto it before leaping up himself and wrapping his arms around her again. “Go! Fucking go!”

Marlon didn’t need to be told twice. He cracked the reins sharply across the horses’ backs, getting them going at a trot before accelerating to gallop in a matter of seconds. Behind them they could hear the sound of hoofbeats pounding the earth. The townsfolk were giving chase. And they didn’t have much of a lead. They shot across the frozen ground, desperately trying to pick up speed as the carriage rattled back and forth with the struggles of the captured girls.

“Someone fucking help me! I can’t handle two!” Mitch snapped, throwing Sophie toward the middle of the carriage. Violet wrapped an arm around the struggling form, Prisha lying limp beside her. Aasim also placed his weight against the bundle, striving to keep Sophie still. Willy was busy trying to help Louis keep Clementine from breaking free, wrapping his arms around the front of her while Louis had the back. Garbage was rolling back and forth within her bag on the floor, hissing frantically.

“Let me go!” Clementine screamed, flailing wildly. “Help! Help!”

“Clem, it’s too late now! Please, stay still,” Louis begged, clasping her tightly. This had been the wrong choice. How could he be such a selfish fuckhead?

Before he could think on that further, Clementine threw her head backwards, ramming into his nose. He dropped her with a startled cry. Clementine frantically scrambled toward the edge of the carriage.

“Clem, no! It’s not safe!” She was going to jump, and he couldn’t stop her.

Violet jumped forward, tackling Clementine to the ground with a primal cry, pinning her against the floorboards.

“Don’t hurt her!” Louis cried.

Suddenly Sophie’s head popped out from under the quilt. “Help!” she screamed. “Someone, help us!”

“Someone keep her quiet!” Marlon warned. “We’re nearing the pass!”

Mitch wrapped a hand around Sophie’s mouth, pulling her down beside him. “Sophie, for the love of God, stay quiet!” he hissed. “Unless you want all of us to be buried alive!”

They had to slow down to a trot as the carriage made its way through the pass. Above them, they could see the massive piles of snow atop the mountain shift at the slightest echo. They couldn’t rush through here, no matter how small their lead. One wrong move meant death.

Ruby’s head emerged from her quilt. “What the hell do you all-”

Aasim thrust both hands over Ruby’s mouth, his eyes wide. “No,” he whispered gravely. Above them, one of the piles shifted, sending a light cascade of snow down that touched the edge of the carriage. Ruby’s eyes widened in understanding and fear.

The girls whimpered within their captors’ grasp, still struggling as everyone in the carriage watched the snow-covered peaks. All but Marlon who guided the horses through with a steady hand, though his knuckles were bone-white. It seemed as though time had stopped in that moment as everyone’s pulses silently raced.

Finally, they were through. Marlon stopped the carriage. Pulling out his pistol, he aimed it toward the sky, firing several shots. Brody screamed in fear. Clementine momentarily broke from Violet’s grasp, cursing viciously as she was pulled back. Ruby took up the cry for help. The Ericson siblings waited, knowing what would inevitably come of all the noise.

The mountain rumbled. Snow poured down from all sides, completely smothering the pass in impassable heaps. As the snow formed a mist through the air, the group could just barely make out the townspeople on the other side of the pass, stopping just short of it as insurmountable walls of snow buried it entirely, immovable until the spring thaw. There was no way to continue the chase now. The girls’ eyes widened in horror at the realization of what had just happened. They sat in stunned silence for a few moments before one of them began to cry.

It was Brody. Tears ran down her cheeks as she blubbered frantically, pushing away Mitch as he moved to comfort her. Instead she took refuge in Ruby’s arms, burying her face against her friend’s chest. Ruby shot Aasim a death glare, daring him to just try and touch her again. Thoroughly cowed, Aasim backed off. Clementine and Sophie both broke free of their captors, but rather than struggling further simply curled up on opposite sides of the carriage, eyes glazed in defeat. There was no point running. There was nowhere to go. Prisha finally sat up, looking at the mountain in silent awe. Violet couldn’t even make eye contact with her, too ashamed of what she had done.

Silently, the carriage continued on. They had succeeded in their mission, but no one felt proud or even happy in that moment. It felt as though everything had gone horribly wrong.


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Ericson siblings return to the farm with the captured girls.

The lights were still on in the house as the carriage pulled up to its doors. Kenny and Katjaa ran outside, both clearly worried at their children’s disappearance. A.J. and Tenn huddled behind them, Omar keeping watch in the doorway.

“Kids! What the hell…” Kenny’s words faded as he saw the pile of tear-stained girls in the carriage. “What are these girls doing here? Marlon, care to tell me what you all have been doing sneaking out in the middle of the night and coming home like this?”

Marlon didn’t dare answer, a burgeoning sense of guilt overwhelming him.

Instead it was Brody who spoke first. “Katjaa!” she cried out, leaping down from the carriage and running into the older woman’s arms. “Katjaa, we’ve been kidnapped! The pass has closed, and-” Brody choked on her tears, coughing sharply. Katjaa rubbed her back comfortingly, turning to her children with concern.

“What does she mean? What’s this about the pass?”

“What she means, Mrs. Ericson,” Clementine said, rising to stand, “Is that your children are thieves. They broke into our homes, dragged us through the streets of Richmond and caused an avalanche to keep us here!”

Katjaa seemed utterly lost. “No, that can’t be possible. They wouldn’t do something like that…”

“They can and they did,” Clementine’s eyes were cold as she stepped down from the carriage.

“Clementine, your face…” Katjaa slowly reached out toward her. A bruise was forming on Clementine’s cheek, already purple against her other skin.

Louis hadn’t lifted his eyes from the floorboards this entire time, but he did at those words, staring at Clementine in horror.

Clementine merely shrugged. “It’s the cost of fighting back, I suppose,” She turned to help Sophie down. One by one, the rest of the girls joined Brody in circling round Katjaa, shivering in the winter air.

Kenny shot a death glare at Marlon. Before his son could react, he’d dragged him down from his seat and pressed him up against the side of the carriage. “Boy, you’d better have a damn good reason for what I’m seeing right now,”

“I- we…” Marlon faltered. “Mitch said that Brody was getting married and he couldn’t let that happen. It was his idea to run down there and grab them!”

“Hey, this wasn’t all me!” Mitch countered. “You’re the one who had the ‘brilliant’ idea to close the pass after we got through! And you didn’t even hesitate to come along after I told you what was happening with Sophie!”

“Come here!” Kenny growled, pulling Mitch down to the ground as well and forcing him to stand alongside his brother. “You mean to tell me that you organized a kidnapping just because the girls you’ve been sweet on were promised to someone else? Have you lost your damn minds?”

“We were trying to buy them time!” Marlon protested.

“To what? Fall for you instead?” Kenny looked up to Aasim. “Don’t think you’re getting out of this either, boy! Not only did you not try to stop them, you went and kidnapped your own gal as well?”

“In the heat of the moment, we – I – panicked,” Aasim replied lamely. “The plan was to only take the two who were engaged,”

“Oh, and that makes it better? You’ve gone and made yourselves into criminals! Kidnapping girls in the middle of the night, fleeing down and barricading yourselves away for the next five months! When the snow melts, the townsfolk of Richmond will be after your heads!” Kenny glared at Louis who looked away in shame, a trail of blood covering his face. “It’ll make whatever injuries you received tonight seem like a goddamn mercy. I hope these girls broke bones on all of you. You damn well deserve it!”

A small thump had Kenny spinning around to see Willy trying to sneak off into the night. “And where the hell do you think you’re going?”

“Oh, me?” Willy asked innocently. “To play with Garbage,” He held up the rustling potato sack. Suddenly the bottom ripped open and the possum tumbled off, running off into the night with a cacophony of hisses.

“Garbage!” Willy screamed, running after the animal and into the woods.

Kenny shook his head in disbelief. “This night is fucking unbelievable,”

“Kenny!” Katjaa warned. Her hands were covering Tenn’s ears.

Kenny’s eyes widened in apology. He sighed heavily, motioning to the house. “You girls head on inside. We’ll get you warmed up and put some food in you before we try to figure our way out of this mess,”

The girls, Katjaa and the younger boys made their way inside. Mitch took a step forward, but Kenny pushed him back against the carriage.

“Where the hell do you think you’re going?” Kenny growled. “You and your kind can sleep in the barn. I won’t have captors living under the same roof as their victims,”

“Are you fucking serious?” Mitch asked in disbelief. “It’s winter! We’ll freeze out there!”

“It’s better than you deserve,” Kenny’s eyes met his son’s evenly.

Mitch backed off. He slowly walked away, still watching Kenny, before turning and angrily stalking toward the barn.

Violet slipped down from the carriage, close behind Louis. She felt eyes upon her and turned to see Kenny looking at her in disbelief.

“I’m – I’m sorry, Pa,” she managed before turning tail and running to join her brothers.

\--- 

“This is bullshit!” Mitch shouted upon entering the barn. “We save those girls from those shady bastards their parents gave them too and we’re treated like we tried to murder somebody! I saved Brody tonight! You should’ve seen the way her fiancée Bill was treating her! Fucking creep,”

“Be that as it may, we still overstepped,” Aasim replied somberly.

“Like you’re one to talk, Mr. We’re-Only-Taking-Brody-And-Sophie! What the fuck was Ruby doing in that carriage?”

“That’s what I’m trying to say! We all overstepped!” Aasim snapped. “Myself included,”

“Sophie punched me in the face,” Marlon murmured. “She punched me in the face and somehow that wasn’t enough to convince me that this was a bad idea, that I was coming off as a threat. I’m such a fucking moron,”

“Oh, don’t you go changing your tune too!” Mitch shouted. “You were the one leading the cause. You guided the damn getaway carriage!”

Violet stepped off to the side as her brothers continued to argue. She spotted Louis sitting atop a bucket looking utterly lost. As she drew closer, she could see he was crying. The tears had mixed with the blood from his broken nose, making him a bloody, snotty mess. Violet rooted through her back pocket, pulling out Prisha’s kerchief and kneeling down before him to began cleaning up the blood.

Louis pulled away with a hiss of pain.

“Sorry. Did I hurt you?”

“Yeah. Doesn’t matter though. I deserve it,” Fresh tears brimmed at the corners of Louis’ eyes. “I bruised her, Vi. Clem has a fucking bruise on her face and it’s my fault,”

“I think I was actually the one to cause that. Y’know, when I tackled her to keep her from jumping,”

Louis shook his head. “Doesn’t matter. If I hadn’t been so fucking selfish, Clem wouldn’t have been there to begin with. God, I took her from her home, away from her family…” Louis’ nose made a strange sound as he sniffled, blocked up by all the blood and snot. “She must be so fucking scared. And it’s my fault,”

“I took Prisha too,” Violet murmured. “I don’t have a shot in hell with her, but I was too much of a dumbass to care. All of us took somebody, Lou. None of us are innocent,”

The words seemed to do little to lessen his guilt. Louis looked down at his sister, his eyes full of pain. “I told her I loved her, Vi. Then I made this the worst night of her entire life,”

Violet felt unshed tears burning her own throat. She wanted to help, but there was nothing she could do. There was nothing that any of them could do to undo the events of tonight. Instead, she did the only thing she could do. Wrapping her arms tightly around her brother’s waist, Violet pulled Louis close, burying her face against his chest. “It’ll be OK, Lou. Somehow, it’s going to be OK,”

Louis didn’t respond, simply hugging her back just as tightly, his cheek resting upon the top of her head.

\---

Katjaa came in after about an hour. She’d brought some medical supplies from the house to check on Louis’ and Marlon’s noses and any other injuries that might need tending, as well as some blankets to lessen the cold. They all remained silent as she moved amongst them, checking on each of them. None of them could bear the thought of how much their actions had pained her. Before Katjaa left, she turned to look back at her children. “The girls have all turned in for the night. None of their injuries were severe,” With that, she was gone.

Seeing as there was nothing else to be done for the night, they all decided to sleep. Climbing up to the second level where most of the hay was stored, they formed one large dogpile for warmth, curling around each other in exhaustion despite their unresolved grievances. Nothing could be repaired tonight. Perhaps nothing would the next day either, but for now they were too weary to manage anything else. And so they slept, a momentary escape from all that had gone so very wrong this fateful night.


	6. The Truth Comes to Light

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Violet and Prisha talk about what happened last night.

The next morning had them waking up cold and stiff. Since they were already in the barn most of them got straight to work on the morning chores: milking the cows, turning down the hay for the horses, collecting the morning’s eggs. It took a while longer for Louis to get up, but Aasim was eventually able to get him to come down to join them. Once everything was set, they headed over to the house in hopes of receiving something for breakfast.

As they drew near the kitchen, they could hear chattering inside. Omar opened the door, and they could see the girls sitting around the breakfast table with their parents and younger brothers. Violet felt her heart fluttering inside her as she saw Prisha hand Willy a plate of pancakes. Louis turned around and headed back to the barn without a word. The rest of them shared a look before stepping forward to speak with Omar.

“Anything for us?” Marlon asked with a nervous smile. Omar simply nodded, slipping back inside and emerging with a few plates of food. At least their food privileges hadn’t been revoked. Taking the plates from Omar, Marlon caught Sophie’s eye for a second. He gave a little wave which she returned with a cold stare, causing his heart to sink. Of course things wouldn’t be that simple.

They all headed back to the barn. Once there they grouped together buckets and planks, forming shoddy chairs and a table for themselves. The breakfast had already gotten rather cold in the time it took to march back over to their exile, but the food was still good. They ate in silence, glancing up to the hay loft from time to time to see if Louis would reemerge. When he didn’t, Mitch finally cleared his throat with an exasperated harrumph.

“C’mon, Louis, you’re not gonna win your girl back moping around in the hay all day long,”

“She’s not my girl,” Louis’ voice carried down from above them. “And I don’t want to win her back, not after what I did,”

“Whatever, man,” Mitch swallowed the rest of his breakfast, standing up to leave. “Stay there for the rest of the winter for all I care. I’m going out to chop wood,”

Aasim smirked. “Hoping if you stand out there long enough you’ll get a shot at talking to Brody?”

“I’m cutting wood because now we’ve got 5 more people to keep warm through the winter, dumbass,” With that Mitch strode out the door, an axe thrown over one shoulder.

“I’m gonna get some water for us,” Violet murmured, slipping out behind him. Once she was outside, she made a beeline for the woods. She needed some time to herself up in her favorite thinking tree. Maybe that would help her get some perspective on everything that had happened.

“Vi,” a voice behind her had her heart jumping into her throat. Violet turned around, eyes wide as she looked at Prisha. Prisha had one of Katjaa’s shawls wrapped around her as well as a set of Kenny’s work gloves on her hands. Her arms were full of sticks and twigs, kindling for the stove most likely. As they stood silently in the morning snow, Violet wondered what she could even say to her.

“Prisha,”

“Can we talk?”

“…Now?”

“Please,”

Violet’s eyes scanned the front yard, looking for a good place to talk that wasn’t so out in the open. The wood shed would provide them cover and it would be a long while before Mitch had chopped enough to head over there. Hopefully the conversation would be short enough to avoid anyone running into anyone. “Follow me,” she said, walking over there. 

Prisha readily followed. As soon as they had stepped behind the woodshed, Prisha began. “I want to apologize to you,”

“To me? What are you talking about?”

“I know you’re sleeping out in the barn with your brothers because your parents are cross at you for what you’ve done and the other girls too, which is perfectly fair. But what’s unfair about this whole matter is that the person you captured is me… and I wanted to be taken,”

 _Holy shit, I was right._ Violet stared dumbly at Prisha, completely flabbergasted.

Prisha dropped the kindling in the snow beside her, reaching out with a gloved hand to take Violet’s.

“Prisha, wait!” Violet exclaimed. “That night that I took you, I didn’t get to say what I meant to,”

“On the contrary, I think you said plenty,” A playful smile tugged at Prisha’s lips.

“I’m serious. Prisha, there’s something you need to know about me. I…” Violet paused for a moment, lost in Prisha’s eyes. She looked so calm, so trusting. All of that would be gone in an instant. But she couldn’t keep chickening out. She had to see this through. “I’m a girl. Not a guy,”

“Oh, I know,” Prisha replied evenly.

 _Wait. What?_ “You… you knew?”

“I mean, it’s pretty obvious, isn’t it? There’s not a man in the world that’d have a figure like yours,”

Violet was utterly blown away. “Then this whole time we’ve known each other, you’ve known? And you’ve been acting like…”

“Like a girl with a crush? Yes. Because that’s exactly what I am,” Prisha’s eyes shone prettily as she looked sidelong at the ground. “I didn’t think I had any sort of chance of finding anyone out here in the West. Then you came rolling up in a wagon and sneaking onto my doorstep at night, telling me I’m beautiful. It was more than I ever dreamed of. I couldn’t let you just slip out of my life forever. So I told you to take me. And I’m glad I did,”

Violet felt herself going weak at the knees. Prisha knew she was a girl. Prisha had wanted her to steal her. Prisha liked her. “Prisha, I… we, shit,” Violet murmured, scratching the back of her head. She had always sucked at expressing herself. Now when she needed to more than ever, words had utterly escaped her.

One at a time, Prisha removed her gloves, dropping them beside the kindling. “May I?” she asked, holding her hands out to Violet. Violet extended her own hands, chapped and cold. Taking them in her own, Prisha gently breathed warm air onto them, placing a single, tender kiss on Violet’s joined hands. Violet just about fainted right then and there. Prisha gently ran her thumbs along the backs of Violet’s hands, her warmth seeping into Violet’s chilled skin. “Do you mind if I ask what Vi stands for? Viola?”

“Violet,”

Prisha’s eyes rose to meet hers. “That’s even prettier,”

Violet wanted to capture this moment forever. Prisha standing before her, holding her hands, looking into her eyes and calling her pretty… but there was so much else going on right now. Reluctantly, Violet let their hands drop. “Prisha, this is.. shit, it’s better news than I ever expected to hear. But what you said about it being unfair for me to be in the barn? That’s not true. You may have wanted to go with me, but the other girls didn’t. Not Clementine. Not Sophie or Ruby or Brody. Yet I still helped to kidnap them. I held Clementine down on the floor. I made sure Sophie kept quiet so her screams wouldn’t cause an avalanche too early. That was fucked up. And I have to atone for it. As much as I want this...” she said, lightly swaying their hands back and forth, “It wouldn’t be right to do it now. Not yet,”

“I understand,” Prisha said, her eyes somber. “I’m not entirely blameless in all of this either. I heard the other girls screaming and I did nothing to help them. I was too afraid to act, worried that if I let them go that I’d be caught as well. But that’s no excuse. I was selfish, and because of that my friends are suffering. I just… I couldn’t let another day go by without you knowing how I feel. But I can be patient. Nothing more needs to happen now, not until other matters have sorted themselves out, whatever that might mean,”

Violet felt unspeakable relief at Prisha’s words. To have a girl who was so understanding, so calm in the face of turmoil… _Holy shit, I have a girl. This all means she’s my girl… right?_ “I’ll be right back, Prisha. Just wait one second,” With that Violet dashed off through the yard to the corner of the woods. She knew she’d seen them somewhere, tucked away… Violet’s heart soared as she found what she was looking for, snatching it up before sprinting back over to Prisha. “These… are for you,” she managed, feeling her face grow hot.

Prisha reached out hesitantly, taking the frail white flowers Violet offered her. “Snowdrops,” she murmured, running a finger across the dainty petals. “Violet, thank you,” She tucked them behind one ear, beaming. “I’ll treasure them forever,”

A rustling sound off in the woods drew both of their attention. Was that Mitch on his way back with the firewood?

“I have to go. Chores,” Violet’s heart sunk at her own words.

“We’ll meet again soon?” Prisha's eyes were hopeful.

“Absolutely,” Violet gave her hand a little squeeze before letting go and heading back toward the barn. “Very, very soon,”

“I can’t wait,” Prisha picked her kindling back up, slipping up the stairs and back into the house.

Violet wished she could go with her. Perhaps in time things would change. For now, there was hope and that was something Violet hadn’t felt in quite some time. That was enough.


	7. That's Not How I See It

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Marlon and Mitch try to explain the reasons behind their actions to Sophie and Brody.

Three days had passed since they’d brought the girls to the farm. In that time, Marlon hadn’t spoken to Sophie once. He’d seen glimpses of her through the windows of the house talking to others, helping Katjaa with the daily chores, but he hadn’t been able to run into her outside the house. Considering how closely he’d been watching the house this couldn’t be a coincidence. Three days of being shut out despite his best efforts? She was avoiding him. He wouldn’t give up that easily though.

His opportunity arrived early on the fourth morning. Sophie had slipped outside to empty the chamber pots. Not an ideal conversation starter, but Marlon didn’t have the option to be picky. He ran forward across the icy road to reach her before she stepped back inside. “Sophie!”

Sophie looked up quickly, surprise being replaced by an angry glare. She raised the chamber pots as he approached. “Not another step, Marlon. I haven’t dumped these out yet and I’m not afraid to use them,”

Marlon raised his hands in surrender. “I just want to talk. Please, Sophie?”

Sophie studied him with suspicion for a moment before turning to dump out the chamber pots, tossing them to the ground once she was done and crossing her arms. “Talk,”

Now that she was standing there before him, all the arguments Marlon had been reciting in his head these past few days seemed to disappear completely. His mind spun frantically as he tried to remember his starting points. They’d sounded convincing to him, but now he was just flailing around internally.

Sophie lifted an eyebrow. “Nothing to say?”

“No, wait, I’ve got it, just…” Marlon raised his head to look at her. “Was Mitch right when he said you’d been promised to a man from back East?”

Sophie looked off toward the tree line. “He was,”

“A significantly older man? Close to my father’s age?”

“That’s correct,”

Marlon’s mind eased at her confirmation. “Then you’ll understand me when I say that what I did was done with the intention to protect you,”

Sophie looked livid at this assertion. “Really? You threw a blindfold over me, tossed me in a carriage and had your brothers hold me down while you drove 12 miles out to your farm and blockaded the only exit in the process? Does that sound like the actions of an innocent man to you, Marlon!”

“There wasn’t time for a better plan! The avalanche was coming sooner or later, we just speeded up the process to buy ourselves some time. To buy you girls time!”

“Time for what? For us to fall in love with you?” Sophie’s expression seeped with distaste. “Did you think we’d just forgive and forget the way we were taken from our homes against our will and forced to live with strangers we barely knew at all? We met one time, Marlon, at a barn raising that you and your brothers ruined. You thought that was enough of a foundation to build a relationship upon?”

“Kenny said…” Marlon’s voice faltered. “He said that sometimes one time is all it takes to know you’ve found the one you’re supposed to be with. And that’s how I felt when I saw you. I’ve never felt that way before, ever,”

Sophie seemed shocked at his words, but her face soon resumed its impassive front. “Have you met a lot of girls since coming out West, Marlon? How old were you when your family moved?”

“Thirteen. But that’s not the point-”

“No, it is the point, Marlon! You’re a lovestruck teenager who somehow convinced himself that kidnapping was OK as long as it was in the name of love. Well let me tell you, I’d rather end up alone for the rest of my life than with someone whose definition of romance is that twisted!” She moved to reenter the house, but Marlon jumped forward, blocking her path. Sophie’s hands balled into fists at her side. “The first time I hit you was a mistake, but I won’t hesitate to break that nose again if you don’t step out of my way,”

“Sophie, you don’t understand!” Marlon pleaded. “The night that we took you, when Aasim and I were hiding outside the house, I wondered if I was wrong. I knew this wasn’t a good plan and that you’d probably be mad at me. But I did it despite all that. You know why?”

“Enlighten me,”

“I did it for you. So that even if you hated me and wanted nothing to do with me once you were here, you’d have the chance to get out of that arranged marriage your parents had trapped you in and find your own path in life. I did this to give you that freedom,”

“How brilliant of you,” Sophie’s voice dripped with sarcasm. “Did it ever occur to you that I might already have my own plan for getting out of that mess?”

Marlon’s brain short-circuited at that information. “What?”

“I was planning to leave home about a week from when you took me, head East and meet up with my sister in Boston,”

“Would you – could you have done that? Your parents would have let you break off the engagement just like that?”

“They would’ve had to accept it. Either that or disown me. Minnie travelled back East to avoid the same sort of nonsense. I should’ve joined her earlier,”

“Why didn’t you?”

“Minnie was able to win a scholarship to pursue her music. I… wasn’t. But I should have gone there anyway, damn the consequences. I gained nothing by staying here,”

“But… your parents,” Marlon protested. “Your friends. If you ran away, you’d never be able to return again. You were going to throw all of that away to be free? That was your plan?”

Sophie scoffed. “Do you think my parents would accept me if I decided to be with you? How did you think things were going to play out? That once the snow melts, you’d all have brides and the people of Richmond would welcome you with open arms?”

“I figured… we could work through all that together,”

“No, Marlon,” Sophie shook her head firmly. “There is no we. You made that clear the moment you took my future into your own hands. Now let me pass,” She pushed past him roughly, their shoulders jostling against each other.

“Sophie!”

“What!”

“Your… chamber pots,”

Sophie walked back with a huff, yanking the basins out of Marlon’s hands. Without another word she strode back inside, slamming the door behind her. Marlon was left staring dumbly at the closed front door. He’d told her how he felt, that she was the one for him… and she hadn’t cared. She didn’t want anything to do with him. Their story was over before it had even begun.

\---

Mitch’s hands were getting raw from how much wood he’d been cutting. It was clear to everyone that he wasn’t doing it to provide firewood for all the new members of the house. He was doing it in hopes of seeing Brody. He’d stand outside for hours each day, gazing up at the second floor of the house and hoping that Brody would emerge. She barely ever did though, and when she did step outside, she always had one of the other girls alongside her. There hadn’t been a single chance for the two of them to talk alone. He wasn’t sure what to do to fix that.

His arms were getting sore. He’d have to stop soon and take on some of the chores that actually needed doing. It was almost noon; he couldn’t stay here forever. Suddenly though, he heard the front door open and a pair of female voices as they stepped outside.

“Oh, horse feathers!” Ruby exclaimed. “I’ve misplaced one of my gloves! Wanna step back inside while I look for it?”

“No, I’ll wait on the porch,” Brody replied easily. “It’s a nice day to get some fresh air,”

“Alright, I’ll be only a minute. Don’t you go wandering off!” With that the front door opened and closed again.

This was Mitch’s chance. He’d only have a few minutes before Ruby returned, but he wasn’t going to squander them. Burying the axe head back in the tree stump, he strode toward the front of the house. It only took him a moment to spot Brody once he came in sight of the front. Her cheeks were rosy from the cold and she rubbed her gloved hands together absent-mindedly. When she spotted him though, she turned to go back into the house.

“Brody, wait!” Mitch exclaimed, hurrying forward. “Please, just give me two minutes!”

Brody turned reluctantly, not meeting his eyes.

Mitch hopped the stairs and stood before her, not sure exactly what he wanted to say. He decided to be straightforward. “You look really pretty today,”

“Thank you,” Brody answered, still not looking up from the porch.

“Are you warm enough in the house? Winters get plenty cold up here. I’ve been cutting extra firewood so you girls won’t have to worry about that sort of stuff,”

“I’ve noticed. And it’s plenty warm inside the house,” She chanced a glance up at him. “How is it in the barn? Are you boys managing OK?”

“Everyone’s fine. We make do; we’ve all seen worse,” Mitch took a step forward, wanting to take her hand if she’d let him. 

Brody flinched in fear, shutting her eyes. He immediately drew back. She was breathing quickly now, clearly trying to calm down. Under her breath, she whispered something again and again. It hurt to see her so frightened. 

“Brody…” Mitch began, trying to choose his words carefully. “What I did that night, knocking out the guy who was trying to force a kiss on you, were you glad I did it?”

Brody paused, considering her words. “I was,”

Mitch felt a jolt of confidence at the confirmation, though another question still remained. “And when I kissed you… was that okay? Did you like that?”

“I- I did,” Mitch saw the smallest smile cross her face at the memory.

“Well then, where do you want to go from here?” he asked, gently taking her hand. “’Cause I would love to kiss you again,”

Brody pulled her hand back quickly, her glove coming off in the process. “Mitch, we can’t. That can never happen again,”

“Why not?”

“Because I’m still engaged!” Brody exclaimed, looking up at him. “I’m still promised to another man. Did you think knocking him out and kidnapping me were going to change that?”

“Well, I thought it was a start!” Mitch crossed his arms in front of his chest. “I saw the way you looked at that creep back at the barn raising. You didn’t want anything to do with him!”

“That doesn’t change anything. As soon as the snow melts and the townsfolk can get up here, my parents will take me home and I’ll marry Bill. Nothing has changed,”

“Like hell it has!” Mitch shouted. He caught the way Brody’s eyes squeezed shut at his tone, but he was too riled up to stop. “This is all bullshit! How can you just let your life be run into the ground like that? You’re willing to marry Bill for what? To make your parents happy? To make him happy? You should do what makes you happy, which is being with me!”

“No, it doesn’t!” Brody retorted. “It doesn’t make me feel happy or safe to be with you! Can’t you see that, Mitch?”

Mitch shook his head in protest. “I saved you that night. We brought you up here to protect you,”

“Well, you failed! What you did that night terrified me. I’ve never been that scared in my entire life. And now I’m stuck up here in unfamiliar surroundings with people who can apparently do anything with me if the fancy hits them! I can’t even sleep at night thinking about all of this. I feel sick all the time. I, I…” She was hyperventilating.

Mitch grabbed her shoulders, trying to steady her. Reaching for her wrist, he pulled up her sleeve to check her pulse. It was then that he saw them. The bruises. It had been four days since their midnight chase, long enough for the bruises to blossom into deep purples and sickly yellows. Mitch stared at Brody’s wrist in disbelief. Had he done this? He’d been so focused on holding both Brody and Sophie in place that night he hadn’t even thought of how tightly he was pinning her down. If he’d done this to Brody, then she had every right to be scared of him.

The door creaked as it opened again. “Alright, I finally tracked that stray glove down, so-” Ruby froze as her eyes took in the sight before her. Immediately she struck out, pulling Brody away from Mitch and into the safety of her arms. “You monster! Checking out your handiwork, are you?”

“I- I didn’t know-”

“You stay away from her, you hear? And get off our front porch!” Ruby grabbed Mitch’s arm and yanked him toward the stairs. When Mitch tried to resist, he was given a firm kick in the gut that sent him sprawling onto the snow at the base of the steps. “If you ever come near her again, I’ll do worse,” Ruby warned, glowering at him from above. Without another word she pulled Brody back inside the house, the door clicking behind them.

Mitch felt like everything was falling apart around him. To see how scared Brody was and learn that he was the cause… nothing could be worse than that. Shakily, he lifted himself to his feet. He couldn’t stay here any longer. Couldn’t spend another day in that freezing barn with his miserable siblings. Couldn’t hear everyone blame him for something they’d all willingly taken part in. But most of all, he couldn’t have Brody look at him that way again.

He pushed open the barn doors with a slam, not bothering to close them behind him.

“What the hell, Mitch?” Aasim exclaimed angrily. “Ever think we’re trying to keep warm in here?” Violet and Marlon sat next to him around a small fire they’d constructed in a pit at the center of the barn. Marlon sulked silently, not looking up at Mitch’s entrance. Louis was nowhere to be seen.

“I’ll be out of your way in a few minutes,” Mitch snarled, grabbing a harness from the wall.

“Where are you going?” Violet asked, her brows knit in concern.

“Up to the hunting cabin. I can’t stay here another day watching all this fucked up shit play out,”

“How long do you plan to be there?” Aasim questioned. “Do you really think now is the best time to leave?”

“Better than doing fuck all here. And I don’t know, however long the supplies last me,”

“I’ll go too,” Marlon said, rising up.

“What?” Aasim’s eyes widened in shock.

“What the hell, Marlon?” Violet stood up as well, walking toward the ladder to the hay loft. “Lou, get down here and talk some sense into Marlon! He and Mitch are trying to run away!”

Louis’ head emerged from above them, his hair littered with scraps of hay. “That’s not a bad idea. Can I join?”

“Fuck, Lou, seriously?” Violet growled, climbing the ladder. “Do I have to knock some sense into you myself?”

“Don’t bother,” Mitch interjected. “We’re not taking him. We don’t need someone who’s just going to lay around and whine the entire time. We’re going up there to hunt, not cry,”

“Fair enough,” Louis responded, disappearing into the hay pile once more.

“You guys can’t seriously be considering this,” Aasim said, arms crossed as he watched his brothers pack. “What will the girls think about you running away like this?”

“Sophie doesn’t want anything to do with me,” Marlon replied, his eyes grim. “She’ll be happy to see me gone,”

“And Brody will feel safer without me around,” Mitch added, strapping a gun to his chest. “Hold the fort down while we’re gone, OK, ‘Sim?”

“You’re not leaving,” Violet declared, hopping down from the ladder. “Kenny will put a stop to this,”

Mitch snorted at the statement. “Kenny was the one who kicked us out here to begin with. He’ll probably help pack our bags himself,”

“No point keeping sons around if they’re failures,” Marlon commented, hoisting himself onto his horse. “I’m ready to go,”

“So am I,” Mitch joined him in leading the horses out of the barn. Aasim and Violet followed behind on foot, unable to believe what they were seeing.

Marlon turned his horse around to talk to them one last time. “If there’s an emergency, you know where to find us. Unless that happens, we’ll see you come spring,” With that he and Mitch were off, their horses carrying them off more swiftly than their siblings could hope to follow.

“Cowards!” Violet called after them, cupping her hands round her mouth.

“C’mon, Vi,” Aasim sighed. “We’d better let everyone else know what just happened,”

“I can’t believe them. To just take off like that… how is that OK?”

“It’s not. But we’ll make do without them,” With that the two siblings headed toward the house, loath to deliver the unpleasant news.


	8. Chapter 8

Aasim and Violet headed toward the kitchen reluctantly. Omar had rung the dinner bell minutes before Mitch and Marlon had left, so they knew everyone would be gathered there for lunch. The door had been left open as it had the last few days for one of them to slip in and grab their portions to bring back to the barn. This time Aasim opened the door wide, clearing his throat as he and Violet stood framed in the doorway.

The conversation at the table stopped with their intrusion. Everyone turned to look at them, Kenny quirking an eyebrow expectantly. “Got something to say, boy?”

“Mitch and Marlon. They just… left,” Aasim’s eloquence had left him with the pressure of what he had to say. “They went up to the hunting cabin. Said they won’t be back till springtime,”

Everybody looked shocked at the news. Clementine and Sophie shared confused expressions. Ruby picked at the food on her plate, refusing to look up. Brody was biting one of her thumbs nervously. Prisha watched Violet, her eyes filled with concern. It was the younger boys who broke the silence though.

“You mean they’re really gone?” A.J. asked in shock. “For the whole winter?”

Willy eyes were wide with shock. “But what about sledding? Snowball fights? Making snow forts? They’re gonna miss all that!”

“I can’t believe they didn’t bother to say goodbye,” Tenn murmured, his comment almost lost amidst the protests of his brothers. Sophie put a comforting hand on his shoulder.

Kenny’s expression was somber. “Those damn fools…” he muttered angrily.

“Kenny…” Katjaa warned, placing her hand over his.

“Well, good riddance!” Kenny declared firmly. “If they’re going to insist on acting like fools, they can do it somewhere else!”

Violet couldn’t believe her ears. He was just letting them go? What about going after them, dragging them back here, making them face the consequences of what they’d done? Had Marlon been right after all? He’d said Kenny wouldn’t want them anymore now that they were all failures – did that apply to the rest of them too? Then the barn was just the first step toward Kenny saying good riddance to all of them: her, Aasim, Louis… Violet knew her mind was spinning out of control, but she couldn’t stop it. Would this one stupid decision cost her her entire family?

“Vi…” Prisha’s voice broke through Violet’s thoughts. She lifted her eyes, seeing the look of concern on Prisha’s face. Shit, this wasn’t good. She could feel the tears building up, clouding her vision. She didn’t want anyone to see her like this, so fucking weak. Stumbling backwards, Violet turn and ran. She had to get out of here, somewhere where their eyes couldn’t follow her. She needed to be alone.

Circling the house, she made her way toward her thinking tree. The bark was cold under her fingers as she climbed, pulling herself up into its branches. Usually she sat on one of the lower branches, watching her younger siblings play. But this time she wanted to hide inside of the tree, so deep and far up that no one could find her. Choosing the highest perch possible, she curled up against the branches, making herself as small as possible. Then the tears flowed freely.

She was so fucking sick of all of this. Love was supposed to make people happy, wasn’t it? Instead it was tearing her family apart. Mitch and Marlon were gone. Louis was utterly broken. Aasim and Omar looked like they were carrying the weight of the world on their shoulders. And her littlest brothers were hurting when they didn’t do anything to deserve that sort of pain. Kenny was sick of them, probably Katjaa too. How could one night have ruined everything so completely?

It took a while for Violet to calm down enough to let the tears dry. She wasn’t sure how long it had been. It didn’t matter. She planned to stay up in her tree until the sun went down, maybe longer. She’d stay curled up here until the threat of frostbite drove her out.

“Kiddo, you up there?” It was Kenny’s voice.

Violet didn’t respond. She couldn’t face him right now.

“I really hope you’re up there and I just can’t see ya. You’ve got all of us worried. Prisha’s searching the front yard. Louis heard the news and now he and Aasim are circling the farm looking for you. Katjaa’s barely keeping the little ones at bay. So if you’re up there, could you just give me some sort of sign?”

She wasn’t ready to show her face yet. Searching the tree, Violet spotted an old, dead branch that dangled broken at an odd angle. Snapping it off, she let it fall to the ground.

“I’ll take that as a yes then,” Kenny let out a long sigh. “I shouldn’t have said what I did when Aasim told us the news about Marlon and Mitch. I let myself react in anger rather than thinking for a goddamn minute how it would sound to you kids. I don’t want Mitch and Marlon gone, and I certainly don’t want you going away either. You kids and Kat are my family. There ain’t no changing that,”

Violet wished she could respond to his words with some of her own. She was at a loss as to what to say though. Standing up slowly, she found another dead branch and tossed it to the ground as a sign that she was listening.

Kenny chuckled. “You always were an odd one, weren't ya? I’m glad we’re talking though, even if it’s only sticks and leaves on your end. I honestly should have talked to all you kids earlier, as a group and one at a time. That’s on me. I know I didn’t necessarily provide the best example to all of you, what with finding a bride in one day. I should’ve made it clear that Katjaa was the exception, not the rule. And when you all tried to find girls of your own, I should have understood where you were coming from. You never wanted to hurt them. It was all just a big, dumb, stupid mistake,”

There wasn’t a stick that could communicate her thoughts. She’d have to suck it up and talk. “No, you were right,”

Kenny was silent for a moment. Violet wished she could see his face. “Was I now?”

Violet nodded, then realized Kenny wouldn’t be able to see that at all. She’d have to keep talking. “I was gonna tell you the night that we left: share the plan and have you put a stop to it before it began. But I didn’t,”

“Do you know why you didn’t?”

She wasn’t sure how to answer that.

Kenny seemed hesitant to speak further either, but finally he broke the silence. “Prisha’s a very pretty girl,”

Violet felt her cheeks heating up at those words.

“She seems awful fond of you as well. Went off searching before the rest of us had even made a plan,”

Should she tell him the truth of Prisha’s capture? If now wasn’t the time for it, Violet wasn’t sure there would be a better moment. “She told me she wanted me to take her,”

“Did she now? Well, why didn’t you let me know that? You could’ve cleared yourself of blame days ago,”

“It doesn’t change anything. Prisha may have been willing, but the other girls weren’t and I helped kidnap them just the same. I gave Clementine that bruise on her cheek. I was selfish, just the same as everybody else,”

“It takes a lot of maturity to admit that. Maybe it’s not right of me to say right now, but I am proud of you. You’ve faced the consequences of that night when some of your brothers couldn’t. That takes grit,”

“Are…” Violet felt her question catch in her throat. “Are you going to let them stay away the entire winter?”

“No, I won’t. Not if I can help it at least. I’ll head out with old Bess tomorrow and try to bring those fools home. I should’ve talked to them earlier, let them know that I understand where they were coming from even if it was wrong. Maybe if I’d done that earlier instead of just shouting at them… well, maybe they’d have stuck around,”

Kenny’s voice sounded sad. Hesitantly, Violet snuck down to a lower branch where she’d actually be able to see him. He was looking up at the sky, lost in his own thoughts. Violet thought she could see a mistiness to his eyes. Without thinking further she leapt down from the tree, adjusting her footing shakily before reaching out her arms to give him a hug. Kenny seemed somewhat surprised at the gesture, but quickly wrapped his arms around her. One of his hands came up to affectionately ruffle her hair.

Violet pulled away slightly, sniffling. She rubbed at her eyes angrily, wishing her tears would stop showing so freely.

“Whoah, hey there,” Kenny chuckled fondly, lifting a hand to wipe some of them away. “There’s no need for that. We’ll find a way out of this. It may be quite the pickle you kids have gotten yourselves into, but we’re all going to stick together and see this through. Who knows? Maybe when this is over Prisha will decide to stick around Ericson a while longer,”

“I don’t think her parents would like that,” Violet murmured, resting her head against Kenny’s chest once more.

“We’ll sort that out when we come to it. I want you to be happy, Vi. So, quit kicking yourself for things you can’t change. You’ve acknowledged your mistakes. All that’s left is to apologize, then we can move forward. Sound good?”

“I-I’m not sure if I can… today. I need to think about what I want to say,”

“That’s alright, kiddo. It’s been a big day,”

Violet looked up into her adoptive father’s eyes. “You’re a good pa,”

Kenny’s eyes misted up a bit again at those words. “That’s the best thing you could possibly tell me,” He took hold of the back of her head, placing a quick kiss on the top. “Now let’s head back inside to let everyone know that you’re OK. You ready?”

Violet nodded, following closely behind. Things were bad now, but that didn’t mean they’d always be this way. As long as she had her family, she knew she’d be OK.


	9. A Confession

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Prisha tells the other girls her real motives behind that night.

Yesterday had been tense. With Mitch and Marlon leaving and Vi disappearing at the news, tensions had run high at the Ericson Farm. Ruby hadn’t been sure how to feel about this turn of events. On one hand, it felt right for the family of captors who’d kidnapped five girls to be experiencing some suffering of their own. On the other hand, Ruby felt a twinge of guilt seeing how the parents and younger children were affected by the brothers’ decisions. Not everyone was to blame here. If there was some way for only the brothers involved in the kidnapping to be punished she would gladly accept it, but it seemed things weren’t as clear cut as that. The suffering of their captors only bred more suffering, not the peace of mind she hoped for.

The girls were getting ready according to their normal routine this morning. It was odd to think that 5 days was enough time to have fallen into a routine in this farm that served as their prison. Looking over, Ruby noticed that the girls seemed particularly quiet this morning, pensive. Were they also thinking about the brothers who had left? Ruby had to know.

“So…” she began carefully, “Yesterday sure was crazy,”

The other girls nodded. Sophie paused in pulling on her boot. “Is it wrong for me to be glad they’re gone?”

She was met with a chorus of noes.

“You have every right to be glad about that,” Clementine asserted. “After what Marlon said to you the other day, I wouldn’t have been surprised if you kicked him out yourself. Hell, I would have welcomed it,”

“I can’t believe him,” Sophie rolled her eyes. “To think that he actually believes he was in the right in all this, that he was doing me a favor! He’s delusional. And then running away after one argument… if that’s the way he handles things, then it’s better he’s gone,”

Ruby noticed that while Brody seemed to be nodding along with what was said she wasn’t contributing herself, instead focusing intently on the buttons of her dress. Ruby had the fleeting worry that perhaps Brody wasn’t happy for Mitch’s absence. If that was the case, did she blame Ruby for the part she had in making him leave? “Brody, how do you feel about all this? You’ve been awfully quiet over there,”

“Oh! Ummm, yeah, I’m good. Mitch leaving was the right call. Him and Marlon being gone… it’s better,” She didn’t sound fully convinced of her own words.

Prisha stepped towards her, pausing the work on her braid to place a hand on Brody’s arm. “Brody, it’s OK if you feel conflicted. Not everything needs to be completely black and white,”

Brody gave her friend a small smile. “Thanks, Prish. I appreciate it,” She let out a resigned sigh. “I know I should hate Mitch’s guts for what he did that night, but the truth is he did also help me,”

“Oh?” Prisha quirked an eyebrow. “How so?”

“Well… the night we were taken, Bill had been over to talk with my father about the wedding plans. Afterwards when I escorted him out, he wanted to get a goodnight kiss. I probably should’ve just given it to him, but I said I didn’t want to. So he grabbed my chin and was going to do it himself when all of a sudden Mitch hit him from behind and knocked him out cold. I suppose I shouldn’t be glad to have seen my fiancée get injured, but…”

“But he was being an ass,” Prisha finished, her eyes dark. She grabbed Brody’s arms tightly. “Brody, you should never feel like a man is entitled to do anything to you. That includes Bill. It doesn’t matter if you’re engaged. It wouldn’t matter if you were married either. He would never be right to make you do something you didn’t want to,”

“I-I know,” Brody said shakily. “It’s just hard to remember that sometimes when I’m in the thick of it,” She rested her head against Prisha’s shoulder. “Mitch said he took me so I wouldn’t have to marry Bill. It was a crazy, stupid plan… but I’d be lying if I said I didn’t appreciate the sentiment, deep down,”

Sophie was looking out the window, her arms crossed. Ruby was absentmindedly straightening one of the sheets on her bed, pressing it flat with a slow, methodical hand. Clementine had said nothing for a while. She was simply staring off into space. Brody’s words seemed to have broken through her thoughts though. She lifted her head, looking at the pair. “Prisha, would you mind if I asked you something personal?”

“Go right ahead,”

“All of us were telling Brody she should say good riddance to Mitch. You were the only one to say otherwise. Does that have something to do with your own feelings toward Vi? We all saw how concerned you were when everybody was searching the other day,”

Prisha looked down at the floor, her expression somber. “You’re right. I was concerned. And I can explain why… but you all may hate me afterwards,”

“What?” Brody exclaimed. “Prish, we could never hate you!”

“Thank you, Brody, but it's time that I come clean, regardless of the consequences,” Prisha took a deep, steadying breath before continuing. “On the night that we were all taken, I asked Vi to kidnap me,”

The announcement was met with various expressions of shock and disbelief.

“Seriously?” Sophie asked, turning round from the window.

“How could you want something like that?” Clementine’s expression was one of complete confusion.

“I know it sounds crazy. It likely would be madness for anyone else. But when I saw Vi standing there, telling me we’d never see each other again after that night… I couldn’t bear that thought. It made me realize how deeply I loathed my current station in life and how desperate I was for change. Vi gave me that opportunity, so I took it,”

Ruby shook her head in disbelief. “So the whole time we were being taken through the pass all those miles up to the farm, you were OK with that?”

Prisha nodded. “It was utter chaos, but for me it was worth it. That’s what I need to apologize for though. All the time we were in that carriage, I heard you. I heard Clementine and Sophie fighting to get free, heard Brody crying… and I did nothing,” Prisha’s voice began to quiver. “I was so terrified that if I stood up and helped you girls escape that I would be taken back to Richmond as well. I wouldn’t have been able to bear that: the life that was set out before me, the marriage. But that’s no excuse. I heard you all, my friends, afraid and in danger. And I did nothing,”

“Prish…” Ruby let out a heavy sigh. “We were all scared that night. You weren’t the only one not to fight back. Hell, I didn’t do anything myself, just popped my head out to get shushed going through the mountain pass,”

“I didn’t do anything either,” Brody added. “I was too scared to even move that night,”

Prisha shook her head. “Your fear was one of survival. My fear was different, selfish. I put my own needs above all of yours. It’s partly due to my inaction that you’re all stuck here. For that I am deeply sorry,”

“Prisha…” Clementine watched her friend’s face carefully. “Do you want to stay here after all of this is over, with Vi?”

“I do. The way that I feel when I’m with Vi…” Prisha placed a hand over her heart. “It’s something I’ve never felt before. I want to keep that feeling, forever. That doesn’t mean that I won’t do everything in my power to help the rest of you get out though.”

Clementine was thoughtful. “I suppose even though we went through the same thing, this experience has been different for each one of us. As much as we’ve been united since we came here, that doesn’t mean we all want the same thing. It's surprising news, but not altogether unexpected. Prisha... if you were willing to go through _that_ night to get out of Richmond, then it really must be what you want. And as for not fighting back...” Clementine sighed. "Like you said, that night was chaos. There wasn't a clear solution, especially considering your own feelings. I won't hold that against you,"

“Thank you,” Prisha whispered. Her eyes were glistening with unshed tears. “I promise I’ll never stand by and let you girls get hurt again,”

Sophie smiled. “We know we can count on you, Prish. You’ve always had our backs,”

A ringing of the dinner bell came from downstairs. “Girls, breakfast is ready!” Katjaa called from the stairwell.

“Y’all ready to go?” Ruby asked, looking around the room.

“Let’s eat!” Sophie quipped, striding towards the door. The others quickly followed suite. As Clementine passed Prisha she reached out and gave her hand a short, affirmative squeeze before passing by. Brody wrapped an arm around Prisha’s waist, resting her head on her friend’s shoulder for a moment. Prisha responded in kind.

They may not all be on the same page in terms of what they wanted, but that didn’t mean they wouldn’t stick together. They were friends to the end, each and every one of them.


	10. An Icy Rage

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Aasim approaches Ruby regarding his reasoning behind her capture.

It was two days later that Ruby went outside to refill the water buckets. She’d likely have to break through the ice forming on top of the well given how harsh the winter was turning, but that shouldn’t be too hard to manage. Shouldering a bucket in each hand she stepped outside, ready to be done with this quickly and return to the warmth of the farmhouse.

The first thing she saw upon exiting the house was Willy, desperately trying to wrangle his possum out of a hole at the base of the house. “Garbage, just let me love you!” he wailed, fighting back as the creature tried to wriggle out of his grasp. That boy sure did have an odd obsession with Richmond’s prize possum. His crime wasn’t nearly as bad as stealing a person, so Willy had been allowed to continue sleeping in the house. Theft was theft though, so he’d lost his dessert privileges for a week. As she watched the boy struggle with his newfound pet, Ruby figured it was a price he’d been more than willing to pay.

As she made her way over to the well, Ruby noticed Aasim out of the corner of her eye. He seemed to be patching a hole on the outside of the barn. Ruby kept her eyes glued ahead of her. So far ignoring him had worked well. If she kept doing it, maybe she could get back inside without any incident. Reaching the well, Ruby bent down to grab the stick they kept beside it for ice breaking. With a mighty thwack she broke through the frozen surface of the water, dipping the first bucket into the well.

“Ruby. May I have a moment?”

He’d come over after all. It didn’t make a difference though. She could ignore him from five feet away just as well as she could from fifty.

“You don’t want to talk. I can see that. Alright, then I’ll do the talking and hope you’ll listen. I want to apologize for the night that I took you. I knew it was the wrong thing to do, but I panicked and did it anyway,”

He was actually apologizing. That was more than Sophie and Brody had gotten, being told to thank their captors instead. Curious, Ruby kept on listening.

“Do you remember the first time we met? God, it feels like yesterday. You were wearing that pretty green dress that brought out the warm grey of your eyes. You looked my way and I swear it felt like my heart had a mind of its own. I could barely breathe looking at you. Then you took my arm and I thought I’d just about die of happiness right then and there,”

Ruby felt herself growing warm at the memory. The way Aasim had looked at her had been electric. She couldn’t believe there was such a handsome man in Richmond that she’d never laid eyes on before. Trying to keep herself grounded, she lifted up the first bucket, full to the brim with icy water.

Aasim leaned forward to look at her more closely. “You do remember, don’t you? There’s a smile there you’re trying to hide,”

Darn it. She had to stay serious. She couldn’t go showing him any openings.

Aasim continued though, confident in his reading of her. “I want you to know it was never the plan to take you. I didn’t intend to put you through something so traumatic. Mitch got the crazy idea to go down there first, then Marlon jumped on with the plan to close the pass. Before I knew it, they were harnessing the horses and getting ready to head out with or without the rest of us. Mitch said if I didn’t come with them and take you then and there, I’d never be able to see you again. That your parents would never allow you to be seen with the likes of me. I told him he couldn’t force my hand like that… and yet I ended up playing right into his. I should have been wise enough to stick to the original plan and only take Brody and Sophie, not drag you into this whole mess,”

Those words gave her pause. Lifting the second bucket and placing it on the well’s rim, Ruby turned to look at Aasim. “What did you say?”

“That I should have been wiser and stuck to the plan, not gone with my selfish panic and taken you,”

“So you’re saying it would have been perfectly fine to capture Brody and Sophie, but what’s really wrong is that you took me?”

Aasim’s brow wrinkled in confusion. “Wait. Do you want me to say that I wanted to take you? Because I did, but practically speaking-”

“You selfish ass!” Ruby screamed, pushing him to the ground. “You act as though saying you were willing to kidnap and imprison my friends is just fine as long as I’m not involved? What sort of a monster are you? You’re not sorry that you kidnapped me, you’re just sorry that I’m angry about it!”

“No, wait!” Aasim exclaimed, backing up along the ground. “You don’t understand. We had to take Brody and Sophie then because their time was running out, but we overstepped those original plans. If we’d stuck to them, then-”

“Then what? Then Sophie’s and Brody’s parents would be in the exact same boat they are now, worried out of their minds for their daughters’ safety without any way to change things! I can’t believe you! You think whisking someone away from their homes and loved ones is OK as long as you have a logical argument to put forth? That the only way in which you fell short was in following your heart and not your head? Well, I’ve got news for you, Aasim: your mind is just as twisted as that rotten heart of yours!” With that Ruby grabbed the bucket beside her, tossing its freezing contents over Aasim. She didn’t bother to stand and watch as he lay there sopping wet, his clothes dripping onto the snow. Instead Ruby threw the empty bucket to the ground. Picking up the one full bucket she stormed back to the house, slamming the door behind her.

\---

Aasim was freezing. He could feel his body grow colder by the second as he lay on the ground, completely lost as to what had just happened. How had things gone so wrong so quickly? He couldn’t dwell on it now; he had to get inside. Not the house though – he didn’t want Kenny or Katjaa to see him like this. Scurrying back into the barn, Aasim tossed open the doors, slamming them shut behind him.

Louis and Violet looked up in surprise at the loud sound. They were even more shocked when they saw the state their brother was in.

“Holy shit, ‘Sim! Are you alright?” Louis asked, running forward. “Vi, throw some more wood on the fire! Quick!”

“R-r-Ruby threw a b-bucket of ice water on me,” Aasim managed. His teeth had begun to pick up a rhythm all their own. “Sh-she got mad about something I s-said,”

“Still, she didn’t have go this far,” Louis commented, placing a hand on Aasim’s cheek. “We need to get you out of these wet clothes now. They’re only going to make you colder,”

Aasim nodded, trying to lift his arms to begin the process. The snow he’d laid upon had turned into sleet against his back. He could hear his shirt crackling as Louis pulled it off. Once he was down to his drawers, Louis guided him over to their fire pit. Violet had thrown all the wood they had upon it. The flames roared to impressive heights. Aasim still didn’t feel like it was reaching him though. He lifted shaky hands toward the flames, trying to absorb the warmth faster.

A blanket was draped across his shoulders. He looked to see Louis and Violet watching him with large eyes.

“Just try to breathe ‘Sim, OK? Deep breaths. Vi, would you be willing to run inside and get Aasim some fresh clothes?” Louis asked softly.

Violet nodded, heading out without another word. The doors slammed quickly behind her, pulled shut by the wind that had picked up outside.

Louis knelt beside Aasim. Reaching out, he took one of his brother’s hands in his, trying to massage some heat back into it. “What did you say to her, man?”

“The w-wrong thing apparently,”

“You don’t know what?”

“G-gonna have to figure it out later. Can’t think when I’m so c-cold,”

\---

Ruby was sitting with Sophie in the living room when they heard the kitchen door burst open. There were some whispered words they couldn’t quite make out, then Vi ran through the room, not even looking at them before disappearing up the stairs. A.J., who’d just been drawing in the kitchen with Tenn, came into the living room and waited, watching the stairs.

“What was that all about?” Sophie asked.

“Vi said Aasim was getting water from the well and somehow dumped it all over himself! Now Louis is trying to get their fire hot enough to get him warmed up and Vi’s running to get him some new clothes!” As A.J.’s description ended, Vi came bounding back down the stairs, disappearing into the kitchen and out the door without another word. A.J. looked toward the kitchen with curiosity. “I hope Aasim doesn’t get sick. He doesn’t always breathe the best when he gets stressed or too cold or other stuff. Ma calls it asthma,”

Ruby felt her gut twist inside her. “Will you excuse me for a minute, Sophie? There’s something I need to do,” She didn’t wait for a response before standing up and stepping through to the back room. She needed somewhere she could be alone. Omar and Tenn were in the kitchen. Clementine and Prisha were upstairs. Brody had gone for a walk with Katjaa outside. Where could she possibly go where no one could see her? Eyes racing round the room, Ruby’s eyes latched onto a small closet in the corner. She yanked open the door, leaving it open just a crack as she crouched down within the dark recesses of the closet.

She felt like crying. She hadn’t meant to hurt him. She was just so darn mad. She hadn’t meant to hurt Mitch either or scare him away. She’d just wanted Brody to be safe. Why did this keep happening? Why did she keep hurting people and feeling like shit afterwards? She didn’t want to be so angry all the time, but it never seemed to go away these days. And it led to things like this. Would Aasim be alright? What if he stopped breathing? It was so cold outside too. Would the barn be warm enough for him to dry off?

Ruby felt hot tears run down her cheeks. She hated this. She didn’t want to be so angry. She wanted to go back home and bake cookies in her own kitchen. She wanted to water the plants in her bedroom and think about that cute boy she’d met one time at the barn raising. But all of that was gone now. Aasim had taken that away. So why did she feel so bad for hurting him? Unable to control her emotions any longer, Ruby wept. She bit down hard on her knuckle, trying to drown out her sobs. She didn’t want the other girls to see her like this. She had to stay strong for them, to look out for them. And so she was left alone with her tears and the agony inside her heart.


	11. Where to Begin

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Violet talks with Prisha about how she can apologize to the other girls while Kenny goes to visit his two oldest sons.

Aasim had gotten sick after the water bucket incident. He had a bad cough, and Louis and Violet both worried that things would only get worse if he stayed outside in the barn. But Aasim insisted he was fine and had sworn them both to secrecy. Something about Ruby’s words that day seemed to have stuck with him. When he wasn’t working they found him staring off into the distance thoughtfully or scratching down notes in the journal A.J. and Tenn had snuck out to him. Whatever was on his mind, Aasim didn’t share it, and his brother and sister didn’t press him.

Katjaa came by the barn to check on Aasim the night of. Even with him downplaying his injuries she knew that something was wrong. She gave him cough medicine that she insisted he take thrice daily, and brought out more blankets to the barn. They could tell that she wanted to insist Aasim move back inside, but was trying to remain considerate of the girls’ needs as well. Bring Aasim back inside prematurely may stir up trouble that none of them could undo.

With Marlon and Mitch gone, there were more chores for each of them. Some of the girls had volunteered to help pick up the slack. Clementine had been helping Kenny and learning some of the ins and outs of the farm. Sophie had gone out to hunt with Omar a few times already. Prisha had taken to sneaking over to the barn to see if any help was needed there. According to her the girls were all aware and supportive of her relationship with Vi, but Violet still felt bad hanging out with her in front of her brothers. Louis still sported a broken nose and Aasim tried and failed to mask his coughs inside his gloved hands. When Prisha dropped by, the pair usually went outside to find chores that needed doing together.

They’d gone off to collect kindling this morning, wandering amongst the trees and wandering side by side before slipping apart to scout farther. Prisha seemed happy, but she couldn’t help but notice how pensive Violet was. “Penny for your thoughts?” she asked, bending down to pick up another branch.

“My pa’s going up to the winter cabin today to talk to Marlon and Mitch,” Violet’s expression was unreadable.

“That’s a good thing, right? I know Katjaa told him to give them a few days to cool off before trying to go up there and reason with them,”

“Yeah, it was the right call,” Violet stopped walking, leaning against a tree as she fiddled with one of the sticks in her hand. “It’s just, what if he can’t get them to come back? What then?”

“Then we try again later,” Prisha replied. “It’s all that can be done. But they’re your brothers, Vi. I’m sure they miss all of you terribly. They’ll be back, if not sooner, then later,”

“I suppose,” Violet pushed off from the tree, making her way over to another.

“Is that all that’s bothering you?” Prisha asked. She wanted to take Violet’s hand in her own, but wasn’t sure if she’d be imposing in this moment.

“No…” Violet let out a heavy sigh. “You know the day they left where I ran off for a bit? I talked to Kenny about how guilty I felt for my part in that night. He said that was what was important, that I wanted to change and move forward. But he also said I should apologize to the other girls… and I fucking suck at apologies,”

“If you’d like you can practice what you want to say with me,”

Violet shook her head. “It’s not a matter of practice. When I’m in front of a group like that, I just choke. I wouldn’t be able to say the words right,”

“Well, who says you need to say them?”

“What do you mean?”

Prisha paused her walking, dusting the snow off a nearby boulder and taking a seat. “Apologies don’t have to be spoken. You could write a letter and address it to the group,”

“You-you think that’d be OK?”

“I think it would be perfectly suitable. Perhaps even preferable given the negative interactions some have had with your brothers,”

“It still wouldn’t sound very good. I’m not exactly…”

“Eloquent?”

“Exactly,”

“How about this?” Prisha leaned back against the rock, crossing one leg over the other. “We’ll go and find some paper. You tell me what you want to say, and I’ll help transcribe your thoughts into a sincere, eloquent apology. Only if you want too, of course. I don’t want you to feel you have to share your thoughts with me if that would be too personal,”

“No, I like that. Thanks… for your help. And for listening,”

“I like hearing your thoughts,” The girls looked fondly at each other before Prisha got back up. “So, shall we swing by the house, drop off this kindling and I’ll grab some paper?”

“Sounds good to me,”

As they walked back together, Prisha felt something nudging her hand. Looking down, she saw that Violet’s gloved hand was brushing against her own. A second later, it took a hold of hers. Prisha felt her heart leap excitedly inside her chest. Her own hand gave Violet’s a quick squeeze. It wasn’t a long walk back to the farm, but for the pair it felt like time moved slower just for them.

\---

The sun was overhead by the time Kenny reached the hunting cabin. Hitching Bess to a nearby fence, he made his way toward the door. Before he even reached it, he could smell the blood and guts: the boys had kept themselves busy up here. Kenny removed his hat for a moment, shaking off the snow before he placed it back on and stepped inside. The room was exceedingly spartan. Two hard cots lay on the floor. A simple woodburning stove stood in the middle of the room, the only source of warmth. A cupboard held all the pickled and salted goods that were stored here for trips, and two rifles were leaned against the wall by the entrance. Marlon and Mitch looked up as he entered. Neither of them seemed surprised to see him here.

“Hello, boys. Got a seat for your old man?”

Marlon nodded toward a turned over crate. Kenny dragged it over to join them by the stove. Both boys were bundled up in their winter coats and all the trappings. They likely never took them off given how little the stove did to warm the icy room. Kenny looked back and forth between his wayward sons. It had only been a week since they’d been up here, but he could tell that it was wearing on them. Their eyes looked dark and weary, their faces and lips chapped from the constant cold. Marlon’s nose was still slightly bent from Sophie breaking it. It would probably heal crooked.

Kenny sighed. “I think it’s about time that you boys came home,”

Mitch stood up without a word. It was only a few steps to reach his gun and the door.

Kenny moved to stop him, but Marlon reached out to place a hand on his shoulder, shaking his head. Before Kenny could ponder his actions further, Mitch was gone.

“So that’s how it’s gonna be?” Kenny asked, raising an eyebrow at his oldest son. “You planning to run away too?”

Marlon shook his head. Rising up, he went over to the cupboard, pulling a bottle off a shelf. He took a quick drink before walking back and offering the bottle to Kenny.

They’d gotten into his liquor stash. He shouldn’t be surprised. Kenny took the bottle, taking a drink of his own before continuing. “Had enough time to cool off?”

“Has Sophie?”

“You and I both know that ain’t none of your business,”

Marlon looked away, his eyes dull. “I’m not going back. The way she looks at me, like I’m the worst person she’s ever crossed paths with… I can’t stand it,”

“You know running away won’t do anything to change that,”

“Will staying?”

Kenny was silent.

“That’s what I thought,” Marlon let out a heavy sigh. “It hurts too bad, Pa, seeing her like that. Always angry, always hurting. When I took her that night part of me knew it was wrong, but I did it because I wanted to help her,”

“You did it because you didn’t want to lose her,” Kenny retorted. “You panicked and came up with the most hare-brained scheme known to man, then you went and dragged your brothers and sister into it as well. What were you thinking, telling them all that kidnapping helpless women was alright? You’re the oldest, goddamnit! I expect more from you!”

Marlon flinched under his words, closing his eyes in shame.

Kenny’s face immediately soften. “Shit. I came up here to make my peace with both of you and here I am flying off the handle again. I’m sorry, son,” He paused, trying to choose his next words more carefully. “Truth be told, I’m not entirely blameless here myself. I should have talked to you boys about finding wives and courting long ago, not waited till Katjaa came and had her mention all that. Seeing me bring Kat home after only a day was your first time seeing how to get a wife, wasn’t it? It certainly wasn’t the best example,”

“I’m not an idiot!” Marlon snapped. “I know that you can’t just go into town for a woman like you would to resupply on sugar or gunpowder! I just thought…” he groaned, letting his head fall into his hands. “I guess I thought I was the exception. That what I had with Sophie was strong enough to see us through anything, no matter how difficult. But Sophie set me straight in that regard.   
Whatever I felt that day at the barn raising, she didn’t feel the same,”

“Boy, whether she was sweet on you that day at the barn raising don’t matter! When you told me how you felt upon seeing her and I said that it only took one time seeing someone to know if they’re the one for you, that didn’t give you a free pass to turn her life upside down! You’ve totally changed the course of her future!’”

“You think I don’t know that? I thought that that was a good thing when I took her. Clearly, I was wrong. But how would it have been alright to just let her be married off to some old geezer, someone nearly as old as you!” Marlon winced at Kenny’s frown. “You know what I mean. When I took Sophie, I wanted to give her a chance to find out what she really wanted, not what her parents planned for her. If that included me, great, and if it didn’t, then fine. I did it for her,”

“But as soon as she rejected you, you hightailed it right on out of there with your brother!” Kenny jumped up from the crate, gesturing angrily. You say you’re not stupid, but boy, you’ve really been a shitbird throughout this whole mess! How you expected that girl to love you through all this is beyond me, and if you were any sort of man you’d accept her rejection and move on!”

Marlon’s face was sullen, his eyes glued to the ground. “Is that all you came here to say?”

Kenny took a deep breath, trying to get himself to calm down again. “No, it isn’t. Your siblings miss you. A.J. asks for you constantly, and Tenn can’t help but wonder how you could leave without even a goodbye. Meanwhile you’ve saddled your older siblings with all of the work, not to mention the young ladies who’ve graciously offered their assistance in your absence,”

“So you’re telling me I not only fucked up my chances with Sophie, but the family as well,”

“I’m telling you you’re missed! You and Mitch both!” Kenny let out an angry huff, tired of his oldest son’s nonsense. “I didn’t come here to yell at you, though I know I’m failing spectacularly on that front. I came to bring you boys home. Sitting up here in this weathered old cabin ain’t going to accomplish shit. You’ve got to reconcile with the girls for what you did to them and try your best to move on. That’s the only way we’re all going to make it through this crazy winter: together,”

Marlon was silent, his face grave. “I know you’re right. Doesn’t mean I’m ready yet,”

“And your brother?”

Marlon shook his head. “Something happened during that last talk he had with Brody. She said something, and I can tell it’s eating away at him. He won’t tell me what though,”

“Whatever the two of you are working through, do you think it’ll be sorted in a week? Two?”

“I don’t know,” Marlon lifted his eyes to his father’s, his expression uncertain. “Is that OK?”

Even through all of this turmoil, he was just a scared kid under it all. Kenny pulled his son up on his feet, wrapping his arms around him in a tight hug. “That’s just fine. No one would expect you to have it all sorted out this quickly. But that don’t mean you gotta do it alone,” Kenny could feel Marlon’s shoulders shaking against him. His boy had really been put through the ringer. It saddened Kenny to see him so torn. He pulled back to look Marlon in the eyes. “Tell you what. I’ll come up here once a week to check on the both of you till you’re ready to come home. Maybe next time I can bring some letters from the little ones and some paper for you to write a response,”

“That would be nice,” Marlon sniffled, rubbing the snot away from his nose. “Will you tell everyone in the family I’m sorry? Katjaa, Louis, Tenn, Vi…”

“I will, but it’ll mean a lot coming from you once you’re back,”

“And you too, Pa. I’m sorry I didn’t do my job as the oldest,”

Kenny placed a hand on the back of his son’s head. “That’s alright. Lord knows I ain’t perfect either,”

Marlon’s stomach suddenly rumbled loudly. “Shit. I haven’t eaten all day. Do you want something?”

“I’d appreciate whatever you can offer. It’s going to be a long time getting back on ol’ Bess,”

Marlon’s face fell. “You can take one of the other horses if you need them for the farm. It was stupid of Mitch and me to take both,”

“I might just do that. Will your brother be joining us?”

“He’ll be back eventually. He spends a lot of time on his own these days,”

“Alright then. Well, let’s get to eating then,”

It was a short meal, nothing fancy or plentiful. The boys had shot a deer and prepared most of the meat already, so the venison was fresh. Kenny ate enough to fuel himself for the trip back then said farewell to his oldest, giving one last tight hug before heading on the path back to the farm. He wished he’d been able to talk to Mitch as well, but maybe it was best that he and Marlon had been able to talk alone. He hoped his words had gotten through to the boy and helped him in sorting out his own muddled thoughts. Hopefully this self-imposed exile wouldn’t last much longer. He wanted his family back together under one roof. Perhaps with time it could finally be that way again.


	12. Chapter 12

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Louis decides that he has to do something major to right his wrongs.

It had been a week and a half since they’d taken the girls. For Louis every day was the same; each seemed to bring fresh pain. He was disgusted with himself and what he had done that night. He knew Clementine would never forgive him, and he didn’t think she should. He deserved everything that came his way: the broken nose, exile to the barn, her burning glare whenever they crossed paths. He dreaded that the most. After Clementine and the girls had stepped into the house and he and his brothers had been sent to the barn, Louis made it a personal mission to avoid running into Clementine at all costs. He couldn’t stand looking at her bruised face knowing he was the cause of it, or see those amber eyes fill with hate at the very sight of him.

Most of the time he avoided her by staying inside the barn. Clementine never went in there, so it was the safest option. When he wasn’t doing his chores, Louis usually curled back up amongst the bales of hay in a malaise and tried to sleep so he could escape all that happened for a time. The dull throbbing of his nose was a constant reminder of that night though. No matter what he could never truly forget all that had happened, and the dreadful monotony of each day simply strengthened the feeling of despair.

Finally, he couldn’t take it anymore. Something had to change. Resolving to find a solution, Louis began hitching up Bess in the wee hours of the morning, hoping to slip out before anyone saw him. He didn’t succeed.

“Just where do you think you’re going?”

Louis jumped at the words, turning to see his sister glaring at him, arms crossed.

“I’m not running away if that’s what you’re thinking. I’m going to fix things,”

“Going where exactly?”

“Back to the pass. There’s got to be a way out that just hasn’t been found yet,”

Violet quirked a brow. “That’s nuts. Aasim, get over here! You gotta help me hold down Louis before he sneaks off and does something stupid!”

“It’s not stupid!” Louis asserted angrily. “Just because it hasn’t been found yet doesn’t mean it doesn’t exist. I… I have to try!”

Aasim rose with a groan, sliding down the ladder to join his siblings. “What’s going on?”

“Louis is being a dumbass,” Violet lifted a finger to stop him from protesting. “A well-intentioned dumbass is still a dumbass,”

“I can’t just lay around here any longer, waiting for winter to pass,” Louis argued. “Every day I spend doing nothing is another day that Clementine is separated from her family because of my selfishness,”

“Still, man, finding a secret passageway through the mountain? You’ve gotta know that’s a shot in the dark,” Aasim put in.

“Then I’ll dig the damn tunnel myself,” Louis growled, grabbing a shovel from their tool wall. “I don’t care what either of you say. I’m doing this,”

Violet and Aasim shared a concerned look. Part of them wanted to tie Louis up and tell him to stop his foolishness. But another part had a deeper fear: that if they stopped him now, the first time that he’d shown any sort of motivation since that night, that Louis’ spirit would wither and he’d never emerge from the hay loft again. He needed something to believe in, even if that something was completely impossible.

“Alright,” Violet said finally. “But we’re coming with you. And we’re only going for a few hours. We don’t want anyone thinking we’ve run away,”

Louis’ brows leapt up in surprise. “What? No! You guys can’t come. Aasim’s sick!”

“Shut up, Louis,” Aasim grumbled, making his way over to put Molly’s saddle on. “You’re either taking us with you or you’re not going at all. Vi, run inside and let Omar know we’ll be gone till lunch time,”

Violet nodded, disappearing outside.

Aasim coughed roughly into his hand before turning back to Louis. “Let’s get the chores done before we pack up any further. Don’t want to leave them for Pa or Katjaa to do,”

Louis nodded, following his lead. “Aasim?”

“Yeah?”

“Thanks. For… not stopping me,”

Aasim sighed, placing a hand on Louis’ shoulder. “You’re my brother, Lou. I wouldn’t let you do something like this on your own,”

\---

“Till lunchtime?” Omar looked incredulous. “Where exactly are you three going that will have you gone so long?”

“Down to the pass. Don’t worry,” Violet raised her hands as she saw her brother’s eyes widen. “We’re just going down there to look. Louis is convinced he can find some sort of secret passageway that’s not blocked up with snow,”

“Nothing like that exists,”

“Well I know that and you know that, but… Louis needs this. Something to give him hope. Maybe getting outside and moving around will do him some good, even though we won’t find anything,”

Omar was silent, his arms crossed. Finally he sighed. “I see your point. Just be careful, OK?”

“Always,”

They headed out as soon as possible, Louis and Violet on Ol' Bess while Aasim had Molly. They’d insisted that he take along three blankets: two on his back and one across his lap. Aasim complained that it made him look ridiculous, but Violet and Louis wouldn’t let him out of the barn until he agreed to their terms. His continual coughing as they travelled had them worried. They’d need to tell Katjaa about it as soon as they returned, even if Aasim didn’t want them to.

It took them about an hour and a half to even reach the pass. When they got there, they could see their work was cut out for them. The pass had been blocked completely in the avalanche that night. Massive hills of snow stood in their path, preventing all hope of it clearing until late spring. The snowfall over the last several days had only added to the problem. Cliff faces that stood bare only days ago following the avalanche were once more covered with fresh snow. All of them looked tiny standing before the massive bluffs.

Louis didn’t hesitate to jump down and begin searching for a crevice or cavern. After tying the horses to a nearby tree, Aasim and Violet caught up with him, shouldering their own shovels. They didn’t expect to find something by digging further into the mountain, but it gave Louis something to do. He led the way along the side of the mountain, poking and prodding occasionally when a certain patch of snow caught his eye. Sometimes he would dig deeper, ignoring the snow flurries as they tumbled down from above onto his head, powdering his dreadlocks. Every once in a while, Violet or Aasim would come up and brush the snow off the top of his head. For the most part they observed silently though, hoping that Louis would eventually realize the impossible nature of this task and turn around.

It took a half hour of searching before Louis declared that they should turn around, but not for the reasons they had hoped. Instead he strode back along the way they had come, wanting to make ground up quickly so they could explore the opposite side of the pass. Violet’s legs ached from the cold and Aasim’s cough had worsened, but they soldiered on, praying that their brother would soon be willing to face facts. Louis searched the other side of the mountain just as thoroughly if not more so. Reaching into the base of the mountain with his hands he felt along the walls, trying to find any sign of an opening or weak point. There was no such thing. The pass was well and truly the only way through the mountain as far as the eye could see. The peaks seemed to mock them as the trio trudged along their base, the winter sun beating down upon them despite the cold.

Finally, Aasim and Violet insisted they turn around. Louis wanted to press on further and seemed determined to continue without them, until Aasim’s body was wracked by a coughing fit that left both his siblings visibly shaken. They needed to get him home. Violet led them on their way back, keeping a watchful eye on Aasim while Louis lagged behind in the rear, still attempting every other minute to scrape away at the ice and snow along the sides. By the time they’d reached the blocked pass, the sun had already risen quite high in the sky. They were out of time with nothing to show for their efforts.

“Cmon, Lou, let’s get home,” Violet said, watching her brother’s gaze as he stared at the mountain. “Everybody will get worried if we’re gone too long,”

Louis didn’t answer, his eyes locked on the snowy peaks.

“We all knew this was a long shot. But I’m sure Clementine will appreciate that you tried,”

“That doesn’t matter,” Louis’ tone was firm. “I’m not doing this so that Clementine can forgive me. I’m doing this because it’s the only thing I can to fix the bullshit I pulled, and I am not leaving empty-handed,” With that Louis took off like a shot up the mountain, shovel in hand.

“Louis, wait!” Violet cried, charging after him, Aasim close behind. “What are you doing?”

“It’s no use trying to get through the mountain!” Louis called back over his shoulder. “We have to get over!”

“That’s crazy!” Aasim shouted, struggling to follow, his feet sinking into the deep snow. “Just because the snow has piled up doesn’t mean it’s stable! If we’re not careful-”

“Then you go back!” Louis spun round to face them, his chest heaving. “This isn’t your concern! It’s something that I have to do to- to atone for what I’ve done. I won’t give up,” With that he turned his back to them. Using his shovel as a sort of walking stick, he pressed further up the hill.

“Louis, please, we can’t leave you here!” Violet pleaded. “We have to go home!”

Her words fell on deaf ears. Louis stood another stride forward, his legs sinking knee deep in the snow. He stabbed the ground viciously with his shovel, trying to break free. And that was when it happened. The snow shifted at the top of the nearest peak, unsettled by their struggles or cries. A rumble echoed across the mountains as the snow cascaded toward them, growing in strength and size as the avalanche barreled towards them.

“Louis!” Violet screamed, struggling to reach her brother in time. Suddenly she felt herself being lifted from behind and pulled away. “Lou, run!”

It was over in an instant. Louis was standing there, watching the coming onslaught, and then he was gone. Aasim and Violet lay panting against the hillside, staring in horror at the spot their brother used to be. A dreadful stillness filled the air. Their feet moved before their minds could catch up. Barreling up the hill, willing themselves to move faster, they crouched above the spot where Louis had once stood and began to claw desperately at the snow. A string of curses left their mouths as they tried to unearth him.

“Lou, just try to breathe! We’re coming!” Violet cried, snow flying all around her.

“Try to form an air pocket!” Aasim called. “Stay calm and dig toward our voices!” He had no idea if Louis could hear him. Out of the corner of his eye, a shape caught Aasim’s vision. Louis’ shovel. How had that thing remained on the surface while he’d been buried? Reaching over, Aasim snatched it up and returned to digging with a renewed ferocity. They only had minutes before it would be too late.

Time seemed to move slower as they tunneled deeper and deeper into the mountainside, but at the same time they could feel each and every second slipping by. The only sound besides the continuous crunch of the snow was Violet’s sobs and Aasim’s murmured prayers. Was this truly where Louis had gone down? What if he was a mere feet away and they had completely missed him on their current trajectory? They were running out of time.

Suddenly the side of the shovel struck something that wasn’t snow. Aasim lifted the shovel, looking at its bloody edge in a daze before his eyes looked down and saw a bloodied hand.

“Louis!” Violet screeche, digging faster than ever. “Louis, hold on!”

Aasim continued to dig with the shovel, trying to move large swaths of snow without striking his brother. They unearthed another hand. When the tips of his dreads poked out of the snow they each grabbed an arm, pulling with all their might. Louis lay pale and still on the ground before them.

“He’s not breathing!” Violet’s tone was frantic. “Oh god, oh fuck-”

“We need to get down from here!” Aasim directed, taking Louis’ legs and pulling him down the hill. “Quickly, before any more snow falls!” Once they’d reached the base of the mountain, Aasim rolled Louis on his side, reaching out to wipe the snow from his face. “I’ll make sure his mouth is clear. After that, we’ll-“

He was interrupted by the sound of Louis coughing. Snow flew out of his mouth as he hacked loudly, collapsing back on the ground afterward. His eyes were dazed as he looked up at his siblings. “Wha…?”

“Louis!” There were new tears in Violet’s eyes as she hugged her brother, holding him tightly as her arms quivered, the stress of those moments leaving her slowly. She could feel Louis shivering under her.

“We need to get him home quickly, before he gets too cold,” Aasim instructed, still in crisis mode. “If we wait too long-” His words were cut short by a vicious bout of coughing. Supporting himself on his hands, Aasim continued to cough, his face inches from the ground. A large clump of mucus came out and fell to the ground. Aasim rose slowly, wiping his mouth. He didn’t meet   
Violet’s eyes. “We need to go,”

It took a few tries for the two of them to lift Louis onto Ol' Bess. He seemed to be in a sort of daze, whether from lack of oxygen or the cold they weren’t sure. Violet climbed up behind him, making sure he was firmly in place before setting Ol' Bess off at a trot, both their bodies bouncing as they hurried onwards. Aasim followed suit. Two of the blankets they’d taken with them now rested on top of Louis’ shoulders at Aasim’s insistence. Making their way back up the road toward the farm, both siblings prayed they would make it back home in time.


	13. Facing Consequences

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The three siblings return home in desperate need of medical aid.

As soon as they reached the front yard Katjaa was already running outside, Kenny close behind her. Louis was visibly shaking as he lay against Bess’ neck, his eyes only half open as his parents ran over to him.

“What in the hell happened?” Kenny questioned. “Omar said you three had gone down to the pass to get a look at it. What did you do, dive into the snow headfirst?”

“Louis got buried,” Aasim answered, moving to get off of Molly. “There was a secondary avalanche. He-” At that point a coughing fit took hold of Aasim, causing him to lose his balance as he dismounted and fall to the ground.

“Aasim!” Katjaa cried, running forward to help him up.

Kenny looked to Violet. “Get off first, then help me carry Louis inside,”

Violet nodded, jumping down and grabbing a hold of Louis’ legs. Out of the corner of her eye she saw Ruby run forward and assist Katjaa in guiding Aasim toward the house. A.J. and Tenn raced outside as well. Taking positions between Violet and Kenny, they helped hold up Louis’ middle as they made their way into the house. The kitchen door opened before they had reached it. Omar was motioning for them to hurry inside.

They quickly pulled back the benches for Louis and Aasim to take seats opposite each other. Ruby had repositioned the blanket on Aasim’s shoulders, while Brody had carried Louis’ blankets in. She awkwardly draped one over his shoulders before handing the other one to Katjaa to tuck in around his lap. Clementine and Sophie stood watching the events unfold from the doorway to the living room. Prisha had slipped inside the kitchen and stood by Violet, trying to rub some warmth back into her hands.

The table was covered in dirty dishes and leftovers. Lunch must have just wrapped up when they spotted the three returning. Tenn was desperately trying to clear everything off while Omar worked to reheat the leftover soup on the stove. Aasim and Louis sat in silence, not making a sound beyond the continual shivering and coughing.

“Should we do something more to stop the shivering?" Ruby asked, rubbing a hand across Aasim’s back in consolation.

“No, that’s actually a good sign,” Katjaa responded. “It means Louis’ body is working to warm him back up. What we need are more blankets and something sweet and warm to drink. It will help him rehydrate faster,”

“I’ll get started on some cider,” Omar said, pulling a pan down from the cupboard. Violet could hear the tightness in his voice. Was he blaming himself for letting them go? She couldn’t stand to see another brother in pain. A hand on her shoulder drew her attention back to her father.

Kenny’s voice was soft as he spoke. “Violet, since you’re the only one in any condition to talk right now, could you tell us what happened?”

“We… we were looking for a way through the pass. There weren’t any, so Louis thought he’d try to find a way over the pass. Then the snow came crashing down and Louis, he-” Violet choked. 

The memories of her brother disappearing under the snow and of his bloody hand when they uncovered it overwhelmed her. She could feel her body shaking. Warm, soft hands enveloped her and without thinking Violet buried her head against Prisha’s neck, sobbing bitterly.

Kenny nodded in understanding. There wasn’t anything more that needed to be told. Meanwhile Katjaa was working on disinfecting the cut on Louis’ hand. He seemed numb to the pain, not making a sound as she bound the wound. A.J. slid in beside him, placing a tiny hand on his brother’s back and leaning his head against the other’s shoulder. Tenn quietly placed cups of soup before Louis and Aasim. Neither moved to drink them.

“Girls, it’s getting very crowded,” Katjaa said, raising her head from her work. “Thank you for your help, but would you mind going upstairs for now?”

The girls acquiesced making their way single file out of the kitchen. Only Prisha stayed downstairs. Pulling Violet into the living room, she directed her to sit by the fireplace and proceeded to take on her own endeavors to ensure she was warmed up.

Kenny looked back and forth between his boys. “Just when I think we’ve reached the peak of stupidity in this household, another child goes and surprises me. I suppose being buried alive just about beats any punishment I could come up with for lying about your intentions and nearly getting yourselves killed in the process. So I’m going to go put the horses back in the barn and leave you be. Kat, holler if you need me,” With that he stepped outside, closing the door behind him,

“You boys will both be fine,” Katjaa stated, placing a hand on each of their foreheads. “Not good, but you’ll survive. Aasim, I wish you’d come to me earlier. Things didn’t have to progress this far. It looks like you have bronchitis now. And Louis, things will likely get worse before they get better, but you’ll heal. I don’t see any lasting damage coming from all this, thank God.,” She began to clean up her medical equipment, placing items back within the first aid box she kept in the back-room’s cupboard. “From now on, you’re sleeping inside the house, not that drafty old barn,”

The boys’ eyes widened in surprise. Louis opened his mouth to speak, but Katjaa immediately shushed him. “I won’t hear any complaints. You both are on bed rest for the next two weeks, doctor’s orders. And Violet,” she raised her voice to be heard in the other room. “That move back into the house includes you,” She looked back and forth between her two sons sadly. “I know your hearts were in the right place going down to the pass. You wanted to repair what you had broken. But there are some things that are beyond our power to undo. Spring will come and the snow will melt. Till then, what’s done is done,” With that she left the room, medical kit in hand.

A.J. pressed closer against Louis’ side and smiled when his older brother draped his arm over his shoulder. “It’s good that you’ll be back inside the house. That way we can play together more and you can practice the piano again!”

Tenn nodded, a small smile crossing his face. “It’ll be nice to hear you play again,”

Suddenly the kitchen door burst open. Willy stood in the doorway, breathing hard. “What happened? Pa told me to help him bring the horses back into the barn and then he said there’d been another avalanche!” His eyes fell on his older brothers huddled over the table. “Aasim! Louis! Are you guys OK? Where’s Vi?”

“I’m here,” Violet called from the living room. “Don’t worry, I’m safe,”

Willy’s face lit up at his sister’s voice, then fell as he looked back at his brothers. “Shit, you guys look awful. Are you sick?”

“We’re trying to warm them up,” Omar answered as he placed two steaming cups of cider on the table.

“Do you want me to bring Garbage? She’s really warm. I bet if I could get her to sit on your laps-”

“That’s not necessary,” Aasim interrupted, pausing to cough and spit into a stray bowl that had been left on the table. “Just come sit down. Body heat will work just fine,”

Willy complied, plopping down next to Aasim. “So… was the avalanche cool? The first one was awesome!”

“It was terrifying,” Aasim’s eyes were firm. “We were dumbasses to go there. Never ever do that, OK?”

“OK, OK! Pa would whoop my ass if I did anyway,”

“Is Louis going to be OK?” AJ asked, his concern clear. “He hasn’t said anything since you guys got back,”

Aasim’s expression softened. “Yeah, he will, buddy. He just needs time, that’s all,” He looked over at Louis himself. His brother looked completely defeated. The usual sparkle in his eyes was long gone, buried even deeper due to the day’s events. He and Violet had agreed to go with him in hopes that this would help perk Louis up. Instead all hope of change had been lost completely. Aasim could only pray that someday soon he would get his brother back. There was nothing else he could do.


	14. What Could've Been

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Clementine confronts Louis about everything he's done.

Katjaa was right about things getting worse before they got better. Aasim’s cough had devolved into a case of bronchitis, and Louis shortly came down with pneumonia. With four of their sons either absent or bedridden, Kenny and Katjaa had to depend upon the help of the Richmond girls to keep the farm running. Thankfully the girls seemed open to the idea. Many of them had already been taking on chores outside of the house, and though their farm experience was not quite as robust due to growing up in a town, they all quickly adjusted. Sophie and Ruby enjoyed hunting for eggs in the barn each morning, while Prisha and Brody took on the task of milking the cows. Clementine was often out of the house hunting, chopping firewood or performing other necessary tasks. She’d always enjoyed the outdoors, but now they seemed more like an escape than ever now that Louis was in the house.

She couldn’t stand to look at him. Every time she saw his face, Clementine was reminded of the night Louis told her he loved her and how moments later it had become the night he captured her and tore her from her home. Gone were the memories of the adorable boy standing up in the wagon, desperately clutching onto an apple pie as he stared at her in awe. Instead Clementine remembered the feeling of Louis’ hand smothering her as she struggled to breath. The taste of blood when her teeth broke through his skin in the struggle. The sounds of the other girls crying out in fear while Clementine was pinned against the floorboards. All she could feel when she looked at him now was anger.

This feeling was only exacerbated by Louis’ behavior toward her. She’d expected him to walk up to her sometime in those first few days like the other brothers had done. Clementine had gone over how she planned to tell him off again and again in her head, waiting for Louis to show his face. Instead he’d hid out in the barn, barely ever venturing outside and never entering the house. Part of her told herself that she should be grateful she didn’t have to go through the nonsense Sophie, Brody and Ruby had. Another part of her couldn’t believe that he wasn’t even going to try.

Now that Louis was living in the house, they ran into each other more frequently, but his behavior was still the same. Whenever their paths happened to cross, he would quickly look away and leave the room, not even speaking a word to her. It pissed Clementine off. This boy had ruined her entire life and all he could do was run away? He owed her an apology, even if it was worthless. He owed her an explanation. As the days passed by, Clementine felt her inner rage fester and boil within her till it seemed to be all she could think about. This couldn’t go on.

Finally, her opportunity arrived. The other girls were out in the barn doing chores. Katjaa had requisitioned the younger boys and Omar to help her clean out the attic. Kenny, and Vi had left early in the morning on a hunting trip and Aasim was asleep. They were the only two in the kitchen as Clementine walked in and saw Louis staring sadly at his bowl of mush. Noticing Clementine as she entered, Louis’ eyes widened, and he stood to leave.

“Don’t you dare,” Clementine’s voice was cold as she glared at him.

Louis sat down immediately, watching her warily.

“You’ve got a lot of nerve trying to sneak out of here and avoid me again. After two weeks you can’t think of anything to say to me?”

There was only silence. Louis was unwilling to look up at her.

“I can’t believe you!” Clementine spat. “You kidnap me and my friends and take us up to your farm barring all means of escape, then you hide out in the barn like a coward after being told off for what you’ve done! When you finally do come out it’s to go on some ridiculous expedition down to the pass and for what? To almost get yourself killed? Did you think that was going to win me over?”

“It wasn’t to win you back,” Louis answered softly. “I know that’s impossible. I just wanted to try and fix what I’d done,”

“Well, you can’t! You can’t take back your words or your actions, Louis! And this sad puppy dog act you’ve got going isn’t going to do you any good either! After what you did that night, what you said…” Clementine’s voice shook at the memory. “You’ve already proven yourself a liar.”

Louis lowered his head, rubbing his palms against his forehead. “I know. I fucked everything up. And I don’t have any excuse, not a single one,”

Clementine scoffed. “That’s it?”

Louis looked away, his eyes weary. “Yeah. I know it’s not enough,”

“It’s fucking nothing. Two weeks and that’s all you came up with?”

“I wasn’t trying to come up with excuses. I wanted to give you your space since I figured you never wanted to see me again,”

“Don’t pretend that was for me!” Clementine spat. “That was all you, hiding instead of facing what you’ve done,”

Louis was silent, his gaze trained on the table.

Clementine felt her blood seething. “Fight back, damnit! I’m the victim here, not you! Everything that’s happened to you, you brought on yourself!” She raised her finger in warning. “Don’t you dare say ‘I know’ one more time! Tell me why you did this! Why?”

“Because…” Louis sighed heavily. “Because I was afraid of losing you. I didn’t plan to take you that night. I wanted to tell you how I felt and ask you to wait for me. Once springtime arrived and the pass opened, I’d come back and court you properly. But I got scared. I thought if my brothers took Sophie and Brody that even if the girls forgave them the townspeople never would, and I wouldn’t be able to see you again. I was selfish, and I took you. Even when you tried to get away, I dragged you to the carriage. I muffled your screams. I held you down,” Louis’ eyes were filling with tears.

“And when I saw Vi pinning you against the carriage floor, I realized I fucked up. I had betrayed you and I spat in the face of everything I’d said about loving you. After that, I couldn’t face myself, let alone you.” He sniffled loudly, wincing at the pain in his nose that still hadn’t fully healed. “Going back to the pass was just a pipe dream, an attempt to run away from what I already knew: that I couldn’t take back what I’d done. You’re right, I do deserve everything that’s happened to me. I only wish I could do more than say sorry. You deserve better than that,”

Looking into Louis’ eyes, Clementine felt a pain burning in her chest. “You… weren’t planning to take me?”

Louis nodded. “Just to tell you how I felt,”

Clementine shook her head. “No. What you said that night, you did it to throw me off. Make me let down my guard so I’d be easier to take,”

“I wasn’t lying when I said I love you, Clem.” Louis’ voice was steady at those words. “I didn’t expect to fuck it up moments later though,”

“I…” Clementine couldn’t believe it. He loved her… and he did this? How could both be true? “You were going to ask me to wait for you?”

“Yes,”

“I would have,”

Louis’ eyes met hers in shock. “What?”

“I would have waited till spring. For you,”

Those words broke Louis. His shoulders shook as he buried his head in his hands, the tears coming freely now.

Clementine felt sick. She couldn’t do this anymore; she had to get out of here. Pushing through the kitchen door she sprinted across the yard, desperately trying to put as much distance between her and the farm as she could muster. She kept running as she reached the woods, weaving through the trees, going farther and farther. Her lungs burned and her legs ached until finally she couldn’t go any farther. 

She collapsed against a tree, her breath coming in shaky gasps as tears rolled down her face. How could this have happened? Louis had said he loved her, and he meant it. Yet what he’d done had broken her trust irreparably. She hated him, but not just for what he did to her. It was for what he’d done to their future, one that maybe they could have had together. Now that future was gone. With her anger spent, all that Clementine felt was emptiness. What should she do now? She didn’t know. And that terrified her.


	15. A Step Forward

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> With Aasim and Louis housebound, Ruby must reevaluate her interactions with them both.

About a week had passed and a new “normal” had been established for everyone. The Richmond girls found themselves growing fond of the Ericson family members they lived amongst despite the circumstances behind their current situation. Sophie had taken to drawing with Tenn and AJ at the kitchen table while Omar and Brody worked on preparation for meals. Prisha and Vi were constantly outdoors together doing whatever chores were needed, and Clementine found the experience of hunting cleansing whenever Kenny needed an assistant to go with him.

Ruby found herself primarily focusing on medicine, helping Aasim and Louis as they recovered from their illnesses. She wanted to help ease the burden Katjaa was feeling having two sick sons to care for while running a household, and since Ruby’s own parents served as doctors for the town of Richmond, she had plenty of experience with various forms of treatment. Using the herbs and remedies stored at Ericson farm, Ruby strove to bring out their maximum potential, leading both boys to be well on the road to recovery within the first week. It made Ruby happy to see the smiles on the younger brothers’ faces as the older boys gained back their strength and could spend more time with them now that they were indoors. Seeing Katjaa’s face soften and the worry ease was also a blessing.

Her interactions with both Louis and Aasim had been awkward and strained at first. It didn’t take her long to warm up to Louis. He was always kind and considerate in all his actions toward her. In the following days she even saw glimmers of his playful side that his younger brothers loved so much. He was still restrained, a sort of thoughtful pain filling his eyes when he didn’t know others were watching, but Ruby was glad to see some of his former self coming through. It wasn’t her place to forgive him for his actions against Clementine, but with each day that Ruby spent with her patient she found herself becoming more and more sure that what Louis had done was an anomaly within his life, one that he never want to commit again. Just as Vi’s letter of apology had helped to soothe Ruby’s anger, she found her friendship with Louis having a similar effect.

If only things were as smooth with Aasim. Ruby found her conversations with him to be stilted and constrained. She never seemed to be able to read Aasim’s expressions and his words were always carefully selected and brief. Ruby knew that her confrontation with him and almost losing Louis on the mountain had shaken him on a fundamental level. Where before he was eloquent and thoughtful, now Aasim was withdrawn. Not cold, but distant, unable to connect with her on any subject beyond his medical needs. Perhaps she shouldn’t desire to connect with her captor, but Ruby couldn’t help but feel saddened at what Aasim had become. She hoped it was temporary, an inward journey rather than a permanent state.

Ruby was bringing the noontime meals to the boys one day when she found him alone in the back room. Usually Louis was on the cot beside his, but today he was alone, reading a book as always.

“Where’s Louis?” she asked.

“Vi wanted to talk with him about something, so they went elsewhere to have some privacy,” Aasim responded. He didn’t look up from the book as he spoke.

Slightly annoyed at the lack of eye contact, Ruby set the tray of food down on the dresser with a loud thwack, drawing Aasim’s attention toward her. “Stop ignoring me,”

“What?”

“I don’t want you having your nose in a book every time I come in to check on ya. Let’s try to talk to each other like normal, civilized folk instead of tucking in our tails whenever we’re near each other,” Ruby stepped forward, the bowl of soup in her hands. “Now eat up. I’ve been working with Omar to mix in herbs that’ll fortify your body while still tasting good. I want to see you eating it all,”

Aasim took the bowl of soup from her and Ruby watched, arms crossed, as he began to eat. She noticed him glancing at her, then looking away once he was caught, his expression guilty. About halfway through the bowl of soup, he laid the spoon down, clearing his throat roughly before turning back to her. “I’ve been trying to formulate an apology these past couple days that would encompass all of the wrongs I’ve done to you. I find myself constantly coming up short of anything sufficient, but I still feel compelled to try.,” 

His eyes fell, wandering to where one of his hands played with a loose thread on the quilt. “I see now that my apology to you earlier was disingenuous. I only addressed the areas in which I hurt you with the intention of winning you back through my apology. I didn’t even stop to consider or care how my actions had affected the others in your life: your parents, friends. I almost lost Louis in that avalanche on the mountaintop. Feeling that fear, that agony…” Aasim drew in a shaky breath that quickly devolved into a coughing fit.

Ruby tried to offer him a handkerchief to cough into, but he shook his head firmly, his hand in a fist in front of his mouth until the coughing stopped. He looked back at Ruby, his eyes now watery from exertion. “In those moments, I knew the pain I’d inflicted on you, your friends and your loved ones by taking you all away. And I hated myself for it. I’ve been sitting here stewing in my own self-loathing for the better part of a week now and all I have to show for it is this measly apology. I don’t expect forgiveness of any sort, but I had to say my part. I owe you that much,”

Ruby was shocked at his words. This apology was far different than the one Aasim had first given her. The pain she saw in his eyes now was real. He understood what he had done and he was sorry. She felt her own eyes tearing up a bit as she watched him. “I’m sorry too. For pushing you into the snow and pouring that ice water on you that made you so sick,”

“Your outburst was more than justified,”

“No, it wasn’t!” Ruby shook her head resolutely. “Two wrongs don’t ever make a right. Just ‘cause I’d been hurt didn’t give me a right to hurt you. And even if you say it did, it didn’t make me feel any better. Only worse.” Ruby held out her hand to Aasim. “Let’s you and I make a pact: that’s the end of apologies for both of us. We both spoke from the heart and said our piece: now it’s time to move on,”

Aasim’s eyes showed his surprise. Hesitantly, he took Ruby’s hand, his grasp limp in contrast to her firmness. After they dropped hands, he gazed off into the middle distance, looking thoughtful. “I should apologize to the other girls. Tonight. I can’t put it off any longer,”

Ruby nodded. “That’s a fine idea, Aasim. Do you need help thinking of what you’ll say?”

“No, I think I know well enough,” He looked at Ruby, a small smile gracing his face. “Thank you for being so understanding. Your grace throughout all of these struggles truly astounds me,”

Ruby found herself blushing at the praise. “Now there’s no need to get all fancy with your praise. Like we said, we’ve both said what we needed to and are moving on. There’s no point letting hate have the final say in what we do with ourselves,”

“You’re certainly right,” Aasim chuckled ruefully, a light cough escaping him before he readjusted his position on the cot. “I suppose I should leave you to your own devices then. I can finish my soup on my own just fine,”

Ruby’s eyes wandered over to the open book in Aasim’s lap. “What’ve you been reading these past couple days? I’ve always been curious each time I’ve come in,”

“ _Swiss Family Robinson_. Have you read it before?”

Ruby shook her head. “Heard of it, but never read it,”

“It’s a fascinating read. It reminds me of myself and my siblings and our lives before Kenny took us in,” He watched her face uncertainty before speaking again. “I could read some for you if you’d like,”

“Tell you what,” Ruby said, gently plucking the book from his lap. “Considering you’re the one with asthma, I’ll do the reading today. Just tell me where to start,”

“Oh, alright! I was right about here,” Aasim pointed to a section about three fourths of the way down the page.

“Well, alright then. I’ll get started. ‘I added to archery, racing, leaping, wrestling and climbing trees either by the trunks, or by a rope suspended from the branches…”

Both of them were quickly sucked into the story. Ruby felt a warmth in her heart as she sat there with Aasim. It was like a weight had been lifted off of her as soon as she heard his words and decided to set her hate aside once and for all. Now instead, finally, there was peace where before a hollow ache had been. She felt like herself once more.


	16. Talking Some Sense

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Violet goes up to the hunting shack to try to convince her brothers to return.

Violet couldn’t believe it. After weeks of turmoil and agony at the Ericson farm, it finally felt like things were turning around. She almost didn’t dare to think it, but things were actually good. They were back to sleeping in the house, Louis and Aasim were getting better, and against all odds the Richmond girls had integrated into farm life and almost become a part of the family. She’d never say that last part aloud though.

A fragile peace seemed to have descended upon both groups. None of the Richmond girls held what had happened that night against Kenny, Katjaa, or any of the younger boys, and their feelings toward Aasim, Louis and Violet had softened in light of their penitence. Aasim and Ruby even seemed to have restored a level of friendship in these last few days, though no one knew quite what to make of that. Interactions between Clementine and Louis were still tense and largely avoided, but civil. It didn’t seem right to say that forgiveness had been reached, but rather that anger had been laid down. What would come out of this decision on the girls’ part remained to be seen.

One thing was certain though: things between Violet and Prisha were better than ever. The other girls almost immediately figured out that Vi was a girl once they’d spent a few minutes in the same room as her. The discovery surprised them at first, but Violet was relieved by how quickly they adjusted to the news. Brody was the most embarrassed at the news, apologizing profusely that she’d ever assumed that “Vi” was short for Victor though Violet told her it had been an honest mistake. Part of Violet had feared that once they learned the truth they’d try to separate her and 

Prisha or somehow convince Prisha that her feelings toward Violet were wrong. Instead the girls simply seemed happy for the two of them. As Ruby had put it, “It’s nice to see something good come out of this whole mess,”

Those words stuck with Violet as she went about her daily tasks. Despite things being better, the whole situation still was a mess. Some parts of what they had done were irreparable. There was no way to the return the girls home and no one had any ideas on what would happen once the snow melted and the townsfolk of Richmond made their way up here. Still, there was more that could be done right here and now: namely to convince Mitch and Marlon to come home and give a sincere apology for what had been done. From what she’d heard from Sophie and Brody, the boys’ initial apologies hadn’t been apologies at all but rather attempted justifications of what they had done. That was unacceptable. She intended to go up to the ranch and get her brothers back even if she had to drag them home kicking and screaming.

After informing everyone of her plans on a bright Tuesday morning, Violet headed out to the barn to saddle up Molly for the journey. Prisha followed her outside, helping to carry the food and provisions Katjaa and Omar had packed to supplement the hunting cabin’s supplies which were sure to have run low. Once the saddle was on, Violet turned to accept the other items from Prisha with a smile.

Prisha returned the smile in kind. “I suppose there’d be no point in offering to tag along?”

Violet shook her head. “I appreciate the company, but I think things would go better if it was just me and them talking,”

“That’s understandable. Are you planning to camp out there in protest until they agree to return or head back once you’ve said your piece?”

“Probably the second. Mitch is a stubborn ass and if Marlon sides with him I don’t think sticking around will do any good,” Violet paused, looking up at Prisha. She didn’t want to admit the second reason for limiting her visit to a single day. Part of her, no matter how paranoid she knew the fear to be, worried that when she returned Prisha would be gone. She knew it was a ridiculous concern. Prisha showed no desire to leave and there was no way anyone could reach her and take her away during these frigid winter months. Yet Violet couldn’t shake the fear that if they were separated for too long she’d return to find Prisha was gone, almost as if she’d never been there to begin with,

“Hey,” Prisha’s gloved hand reached out for Violet’s. “What are you thinking? You look worried,”

“Just wondering if this is all a waste of time,” Violet muttered, looking away.

“No, that’s not it,”

Violet turned back to Prisha, her eyes wide with surprise. How had she caught the lie?

Prisha’s gaze was steady. “You’ve already made your mind up that you’re going. In fact, you’re so sure it’s the right decision that you announced your decision to everyone. That’s a big move for you. You wouldn’t go at all if you believed it would be useless. What’s really on your mind?”

“I- it’s just…” Violet sighed. “I’m not used to things going right in my life. Even when they do, it always ends up going bad in the end. The only thing that’s stayed together is my family and even that has come damn near close to falling apart these last few weeks. And you and me…” Violet paused, feeling overcome by her emotions, “Right now it’s perfect. It’s too good to be true,”

“You’re worried if you leave for a few days that things will change?”

 _I can’t lose you._ “Maybe,”  
Prisha let out a huff, not one of anger, but annoyance. Pulling at her gloves, she threw them to the floor of the barn hurriedly. Then her hands came up to tangle in Violet’s hair and she was pulling her into a kiss.

It was a sloppy kiss, inexperienced, rushed. But it set Violet’s heart on fire, the rhythm of her heartbeat beating a frantic tattoo within her years. Prisha pulled away too quickly and Violet found herself wanting to lean in and continue the kiss anew. Instead she found herself staring wordlessly into Prisha’s eyes.  
Prisha looked down to the floor, worrying her lower lip between her teeth. “I’m sorry, that was probably too much. I’m sure it wasn’t very good either considering it was my first kiss,”

“Mine too,”

Prisha looked up at her in surprise before her expression softened. “I should have used my words instead. What I was trying to say through that… gesture was that I’m not leaving. Not now, not a couple weeks from today, not even when the snow melts and the pass is open. Being here with you, with your family, waking each morning to embrace a new day of work on the farm… I’ve felt more myself here than I ever did in Richmond. I’m not going to give that up. I plan to stay for as long as you’ll have me,”

Violet felt her heart melt at those words. Prisha was staying. Not just now, she wanted to stay forever. And Violet wanted her here forever. Before she could think better of it, Violet lifted a hand to cup Prisha’s cheek and popped up onto her tiptoes, placing a quick kiss on her lips. She didn’t quite aim right and ended up catching the corner of her lips, but as Violet’s feet dropped back to the ground the look on Prisha’s face told her that the kiss had meant a great deal to her.

She had to get out of here while she still had the willpower. Clearing her throat awkwardly, Violet turned round and got up onto the saddle. “I’ll be back by nightfall, I promise,”

“I’ll be waiting,” Prisha grasped Molly’s bridle, causing Violet to wait a moment longer. “I’m proud of you, Violet, for going up there and trying to make a difference. Whatever your brothers may say, I want you to know that,”

“Here’s hoping their heads aren’t too far up their asses to listen,” With that Violet cracked the reins and she and Molly were off, fresh snow kicked up under the young mare’s hooves. She needed to get her brothers back. She wanted her family to be whole again.

\---

It took a couple hours to make it up to the hunting cabin. The morning was cold, but once the sun poked its head above the tree line the temperature warmed enough for Violet to no longer shiver as she rode along. Drawing near the cabin, she saw a trail of smoke coming up from the chimney. Tying Molly to the hitching post outside, Violet stepped inside. There was no one to be found. The smoke must be residual from breakfast. Muttering swears under her breath, Violet stepped back outside and leapt up on Molly’s back. Of course they weren’t going to make this easy. She’d find them regardless.

It took another hour to find them. Eventually Violet spotted two silhouettes standing beside the river. Clicking her tongue, she directed Molly to speed up to a gallop, pulling back just short of her brothers and scattering a generous amount of snow upon them.

“Shit, Vi!” Mitch muttered, shaking the snow off himself. “What was that for?”

“Oh, I don’t know, maybe for being assholes?” Violet replied, jumping down from her horse. “What the hell, you two? What are you even doing up here anymore?”

“Hunting’s been good,” Marlon replied, holding up two rabbits.

“You know what I fucking mean. Don’t try to skate around it,”

Marlon’s face fell and he lowered his gaze. From what Kenny had told Violet of his two visits with the boys, she knew Marlon was the more repentant of the boys. Part of him was probably longing to be back on the farm, but from the steely glare in Mitch’s eyes it didn’t look like his decision had wavered.

With an annoyed sigh, Violet gave Molly’s reins over to Marlon. “Keep an eye on her. Mitch and I are gonna talk.

“Like hell we are,” Mitch scoffed.

Violet’s eyes narrowed. She did a bluff lunge toward Mitch, inwardly pleased when he flinched. “That’s what I thought. Now c’mon. You and I are taking a walk,”

Mitch begrudgingly agreed. The two began their walk along the river, keeping silent until they were out of earshot before Violet began to speak again.

“I apologized to all the girls back at the farm. They forgave me for what I did,”

Mitch snorted. “Of course they did. You’re a girl, and besides you said your gal wanted to be taken anyways,”

“Louis and Aasim apologized too. The girls also forgave them,”

“Yeah, right. Considering the daggers Clem was shooting at Louis that night there’s no way she really forgave him,”

“Things are still tense, but they’re able to be polite with each other,” Violet looked up at her brother who was determinedly keeping his eyes elsewhere. “They let us back in the house,”

Mitch was silent for a moment. “Pa told me what happened. How Louis almost got himself buried alive. Fucking dumbass,”

“Yeah. It was terrifying. He and Aasim got sick after that. That’s why they let us stay in the house since the barn was too cold for them,” Violet paused, looking across the river. “It’s not how I would’ve wanted it all to go, but things are better now. The girls seem to get along with everybody most of the time,”

“You trying to convince me everything will be hunky-dory if Marlon and I come back?” The sarcasm was clear in Mitch’s voice.

“No, I’m trying to tell you to stop being a dumbass and say you’re sorry. I heard about the shitty “apology” you gave to Brody before leaving. It’s no wonder she didn’t accept it,”

Mitch stopped in his tracks. “I was helping her! You would know what I’m talking about if you’d been there. That guy Brody’s engaged to is a total prick! He was forcing himself on her!”

“That still doesn’t make what we did right!” Violet snapped. “C’mon, Mitch, it doesn’t take a genius to figure out how fucked up that night was! Couldn’t you have just manned up and told Brody you were sorry?” Her face softened, thinking about home. “She’d probably have accepted the apology if it was sincere. She’s a really nice girl,”

“She is,” Mitch began walking again, causing Violet to hurry to catch up. “What’s really fucked up is that we did all that work for nothing. In four months’ time spring’ll be here and then they’ll all be taken back to Richmond while we get dragged outside and shot for our crimes,”

“So you’re saying you’re just going to hide out here and await your doom? You’re going to hide miles away from the farm and let them come for the rest of us?”

“Fuck, Vi! No! It’s not like that! It’s just…” Mitch stopped once more, but instead of anger Violet saw dejection on his face. “I’m the one who started all this. It was my stupid fucking idea to go down there in the first place, and I’d do it again to save Brody! But convincing Marlon to come along, scaring Aasim and Louis into going, stopping you from telling Pa…”

Mitch shook his head. “I never should have gotten any of you involved. And the way I took Brody… there were bruises on her arms. I hurt her. So no, I’m not hiding out here waiting for the end. But I’m not going to come back like some fucking mutt with my tail between my legs. I’m not going back to the farm until I’ve got a plan to fix all this,”

Violet was silent as she studied her brother’s face. Typical Mitch, defending a decision so passionately only to turn it on its head in the next minute. He knew he’d fucked up. As admirable as defending Brody had been, he knew the rest of his motives were bullshit. So here he stood, recognizing his faults but paralyzed by the very duty that had caused his change of heart. Violet punched him. It was on his shoulder, but she still made it hard enough to sting.

“What the fuck was that for?” Mitch cried, taking a few steps back.

“You fucking idiot! Don’t you get that our chances of figuring this out are better if we stick together? But no, you just have to come up with the entire plan yourself! Not everything’s about you, Mitch! Just ‘cause you started this whole mess doesn’t mean you get to take all the blame and it sure as hell doesn’t mean you have the answers. Now come back home before I knock you out and tie you onto Molly’s backside to get you there,”

Mitch glared at Violet, but the anger only lasted a second. Violet figured he was probably feeling the same way the rest of them had back on the farm: tired of anger, full of regret. Wanting to make things right. He wasn’t going to find any answers up here though. “You think Brody will be mad if I come back?”

“No. I don’t know if she’ll be glad either but having you and Marlon home will make things easier on everyone. It’s hard running things with you two gone and Louis and Aasim still sick,”

Mitch nodded thoughtfully. There were practical reasons to return amidst all the emotional baggage. “Give us a couple days. We’ll wrap things up here then head back down,”

“You mean it? You’re not just telling me what I want to hear to get me off your back?”

“Nah. You’d come right back up here to kick my ass anyway if I was,” Mitch smirked before growing serious once more. “I am sorry, Vi. Sorry I dragged you all into this and I can’t find a fucking way out,”

“I know. We all fucked up that night. Not everything to come out of it was bad though,” Violet looked at the ground, too flustered to meet her brother’s eyes. “Prisha’s pretty great,”

“No way. You mean that theory you had that Prisha wanted to be taken was _actually_ true?”

“Uhhh, yeah. Turns out she knew I was a girl the whole time,”

“I fucking knew it. No way she could dance with you and still think you’re a guy,” Mitch gave a rueful smile. “Well, guess my plan wasn’t utterly fucked up if it got you a girl,”

“Considering Prisha wasn’t even part of your original plan, I don’t think that counts,”

“Whatever. A win’s a win. I’m proud of you, Vi,” Mitch reached up and ruffled the hair top of her head in the way he knew she hated.

Violet pulled away, backstepping in the direction they’d left Marlon and Molly. “You coming? I promised I’d be back before nightfall,”

“You go on ahead. I’ll see you in a few days anyway,”

“You promise?” Violet raised an eyebrow, keeping her gaze steady.

Mitch nodded. “I promise. No more running,”

Accepting his words, Violet turned round and hurried her steps. She wanted to get home as soon as possible. Hopefully Mitch was telling the truth about heading back. He’d never lied to her before, not about stuff that mattered. She didn’t know what having those two back would entail, but she already felt more hopeful at the thought of seeing them home. Once Mitch and Marlon got back, they’d figure the rest out. Somehow, some way.


	17. A Long-Awaited Return

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After a month away, Mitch and Marlon return to Ericson Farm.

“Guys, guys, they’re back!” A.J’s voice rang through the front yard as he ran out to greet Mitch and Marlon, closely followed by Willy, Tenn, the rest of the siblings, their parents, and the Richmond girls. The boys were riding back on the same horse, Marlon holding the reins while Mitch sat behind, the pack on his back piled high with furs. Dismounting together, they quickly knelt down to give their youngest brothers hugs. The three boys refused to separate from their older brothers, clinging to them stubbornly, so all other hugs became group hugs as the family stepped forward to greet their prodigal sons.

“About time you fools came back,” Kenny grunted, though all of them could tell he was misty-eyed.

Katjaa immediately began to examine both boys for any injuries, tutting and fretting over every little injury they’d put off dealing with.

Realizing it was too cold to stay outside, everyone hurried in to crowd together in the kitchen. Omar had fresh bowls of soup for everyone to warm up with as the two brothers regaled everyone with stories of the adventures they’d had in the near month they’d been gone. In truth there wasn’t much to tell. Most of their days had been spent alone and in silence, hunting whatever they could find. But they did have a particularly wild tale of the time a wolverine had broken into the hunting lodge that had everyone glued to their seats, especially Willy.

“You guys won’t believe everything that happened while you’ve been gone!” the gap-toothed youngster exclaimed. “Garbage and I are best friends now! I’ve even taught her tricks!” The term ‘best friends’ was certainly stretching the truth. If Richmond’s prized possum showed any level of fondness for the boy it was only that she hated him somewhat less than she despised everyone else. Willy had accomplished this mainly by providing her whatever scraps he could find from the kitchen or barn, sneaking outside and offering them to her as she hissed at him from below the porch.

The Richmond girls rather than staying within the tight confines of the kitchen had settled amongst the chairs in the adjoining living room, listening silently as the family talked. There was a certain level of tension present throughout the reunion even amidst the joy and excitement. From time to time throughout the conversation, Marlon or Mitch would glance toward the doorway, trying to catch a glimpse of the girls. Everyone wondered how talks between them would go though no one dared broach the subject.

It soon became clear that Sophie had no interest in further conversation. As soon as she had finished her bowl of soup she announced to the other girls that she was going to go write a letter to her sister Minnie and promptly disappeared up the stairs. Marlon’s expression showed his feelings on the matter: disappointment, but not shock. He had expected as much.

After about a half hour of conversation, Katjaa reminded her brood that they still had chores to attend to and shooed them all off to their respective tasks. Marlon joined Louis and Violet in heading outside while Aasim and Omar corralled the younger boys in the back room to help with crafting tools they’d need this coming spring. Kenny went out to the barn to check that everything was in order and Katjaa had free rein of the kitchen. That left Mitch, awkwardly standing in the doorway, unwilling to look at Brody but unable to move away.

Ruby’s hand reached down to brush against Brody’s. She shared a look with her friend, wordlessly communicating. Brody simply nodded. Ruby understood. “Alright girls, let’s get back to work on that quilt we’ve got going upstairs,” Everyone seemed to have caught on as well and followed her upstairs.

Brody sat upon a wooden stool by the fireplace. She motioned for Mitch to take a seat as well. Hesitantly, he acquiesced. The two sat in silence, their eyes downcast, the only sound the cracking of the logs in the fireplace before them.

Mitch was the first to speak. “Before I say anything else, I want to tell you I’m sorry. Sorry for what I did to you that night and sorry for running away when you tried to tell me the truth of what I’d done. Here I was thinking I was such a man, a protector, and I was too much of a fucking coward to admit when I was wrong. You deserved better than that. So, I’m sorry,”

“Thank you. I appreciate that,” Brody’s tone was soft.

Mitch was slower to continue, clearly thinking carefully over his next words. “The day I approached you on the front porch I told you I wanted you to be happy. That’s still true. But I realize now how much of an ass I was to believe that the only way you could be happy was with me. Whatever you decide to do with your life, Brody, I’ll accept it. You don’t owe me anything, and I…” Mitch sighed. “I owe you more than I’ll ever be able to repay. I can only hope that what I’ve done doesn’t fuck up your own chances of happiness,”

“Wow,” Brody looked up from the floor, glancing his way for a moment. “Sounds like you did a lot of thinking while you were up there,”

Mitch nodded. “Not much else to do up there besides hunt and try not to freeze to death,” He cleared his throat before speaking again. “I should probably tell you one more thing. Marlon and I talked about it up at the hunting cabin, and we decided that once we got back we’d stay out in the barn, not in the house,”

Brody’s eyes widened at his words. “I don’t know if you need to take things that far,”

“No, we do. We were always supposed to stay in the barn. Running away doesn’t mean we get to avoid that punishment. That wouldn’t be fair to anyone, not you or my pa or my brothers and sister we left in that barn,” Mitch looked up, catching Brody’s eyes. “If you and Sophie want, we’ll stay in the barn for the rest of the winter if that’s what makes you comfortable. I don’t want to ever hurt you again, Brody,”

Brody’s smile was small and bittersweet. “I’ll talk to Sophie and see what she thinks we should do. I figure you won’t be stuck out there forever though. It’s not bad having the others in the house. Everyone’s really nice,”

God, he loved her smile. Mitch wished there was a way to capture the moment, that he could ask Brody to sit for a portrait and ask Tenn to draw it for them. Maybe if things had gone differently, they could be sitting beside each other at the fireplace instead of several feet apart. Brody would tell him how much she liked his family and he’d be glad since she’d soon be a part of it. Then again, if he’d respected her wishes and left her in Richmond, Brody would be married to Bill right now, living in his house as his wife. So even then this dream would never have come true. His love for Brody was doomed from the start. Now all he could do was accept that fact and walk away.

Mitch rose with a low grunt, stretching his shoulders and cracking his neck. “I’d better head outside and find Marlon. Tell Pa and the others we’re staying in the barn,”

Brody rose as well. “I should get going too. There’s still a lot of work to be done on that quilt,”

“Brody?”

“Yes?”

Mitch paused, uncertain of his words once more. “Thank you,”

“For what?”

“For accepting my apology. You didn’t have to do that. You could’ve hated my guts forever and you’d have every right to,”

“I never hated you, Mitch. I just-” Brody froze, lost in her own thoughts. “I’m glad you’re back, for everyone’s sake,”

“I guess I’ll see you around then?”

“Yeah, you will,” Brody walked towards the stairs. She offered Mitch an awkward wave. “Bye for now then,”

“Goodbye,”

With that she was gone. Sighing, Mitch turned to head out the front door. That had gone as well as could be expected. He wasn’t sure it was forgiveness, but she didn’t hate him. That would have to be enough. Mitch squared his shoulders and headed outside. There was plenty of work to be done.


	18. A Little Piano Music

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hearing music from the parlor, Clementine goes to investigate.

The sounds coming up the stairwell were too intriguing for Clementine to ignore. It was music, but unlike any she’d heard in the month that she’d been here. Setting aside her sewing, she’d made her way quietly down the stairs, stopping at about the halfway point when the source of the music came into view. It was Louis.

He was playing something on the barrel piano that stood in the corner of the parlor, the fancier side of the main room that Katjaa had set up on the off chance they would ever have company. The girls had often shared tea with Katjaa while sitting together and working on their sewing projects in that very corner. Clementine had noticed the piano a time or two before, but didn’t know whose it was as neither Katjaa nor Kenny nor any of the younger boys ever played it.

Now she knew why it was there: it belonged to Louis. He was quite talented. His hands danced lightly across the keys, tapping out a melody she’d never heard before. It was soft, sweet and a little sad. Clementine soon found herself adjusting her skirts so she could sit down upon the stairs and continue to listen to him play. She hoped no one would come along and interrupt him. Most of the other members of the household and girls were currently outside. It had left Clementine alone with her thoughts, a place she didn’t currently care to be. She much preferred listening to the melody Louis created upon the piano keys.

Suddenly the playing stopped. Louis rose, moving to the side of the piano to turn a crank repeatedly. As he changed position, his eyes caught Clementine’s upon the staircase and he froze.

Clementine was still as well, wondering if she had frightened him. When neither moved to flee, she rose to her feet and made her way down the stairs. “Your playing is beautiful,”

“Oh, thank you,” a sheepish smile crossed Louis’ face, quickly disappearing as he got back to work cranking the piano.

“How long have you played for?”

“Only a few years. Maybe seven now?”

“That’s quite some time,” Clementine looked for a place to sit, settling for the sette only a few feet away. “It seems like something that would take discipline,”

“Oh, I don’t know about that,” Louis awkwardly scratched the back of his head before returning to his seat on the bench. “My pa bought it at an estate sale for all of us. Thought it would give us something to do besides being ‘hooligans’ each day. But I was the only one who ever really took to it,” He placed a hand against the piano, running his fingers along the grain.

“I wasn’t sure if we’d be able to take it with us when Pa announced we were moving out west. But we packed it up along with everything else. Carted it all the way out here, lashed to the wagon, swaying back and forth on all the bumps and turns. I was convinced the poor thing would be smashed to smithereens before I even got to play it again,”

Clementine watched the smile upon Louis’ face thoughtfully. Over this past week she’d seen Ruby warm to Aasim, spending more and more time with him as they went about their daily chores and even at night reading by the fire. Prisha had been utterly smitten with Violet from the start. She knew the other girls were watching her, wondering if her own feelings toward Louis would change. The wrath of the first few weeks was now gone, but it still pained her to see him, especially now that Louis had shared his version of the events of that night. Seeing him always made her wonder what her feelings would be by now if she hadn’t been dragged into this mess.

“Do you play anything?” Louis’ voice dragged her out of her thoughts.

“What?”

“Any instrument. Do you play? You sort of strike me as a piccolo gal,”

“What does that even mean?” Clementine smiled at the comment then shook her head. “I’ve always been more of an outdoor girl myself. Horseback riding, long walks, hunting sometimes. My father let me do as I pleased even though that sometimes meant I didn’t pick up all the habits of a ‘proper’ lady,”

“Propriety is overrated,” Louis wrinkled his nose, turning further to face her. “Your dad sounds like a good man,”

“He is. The best. He taught me everything I know. Took me in before I was old enough to walk or talk. I don’t remember a time when I wasn’t with him,”

“Louis’ eyes brightened. “I didn’t know you were adopted!”

“That’s not usually something people get excited about. Folks would even ask Lee why he took me in rather than getting a wife and starting a family of his own. But I guess then you were adopted too, weren’t you?”

Louis nodded. “All of us were. Marlon first, then Mitch. Me, Vi, Aasim, and the little boys followed one right after the other. Sometimes Kenny jokes that he moved us out here so he wouldn’t be suckered into taking in any more mouths to feed,” He shook his head. “I think he just wanted to give us a fresh start though. Somewhere we wouldn’t be remembered as street kids or thieves. I guess we fucked up that chance though,” Louis’ eyes grew dark at those words.

Clementine didn’t want to return to that headspace. “Can you play me something? Maybe the piece you were playing before?”

“Oh, that was just me fiddling around on the piano,”

Clementine’s eyes widened.  _ That  _ had been fiddling?

“Oh, but I do have something pretty I could play,” Louis shifted the music in front of him as if searching for something. Pulling out a certain sheet of music, he placed it in front of him and began to play. It was a cheerier tune, somewhat playful with Louis’ right hand flitting along the keys while his left hand anchored the tune.

Clementine found herself getting lost in the music, watching Louis as he poured himself into the piece. This was a side of him she felt she’d only glimpsed before. The bright, smiling boy who swept her off her feet at the barn raising was one side of Louis to be sure, but there was a deeper, earnest, fearful side as well. The same side he’d shown when he confessed his feelings to her. Clementine felt a pang deep within her heart at the memory.

“That was a piece I wrote for Katjaa,” Louis said, raising his hands from the piano. “I wanted some way to thank her for being willing to move out here and open her heart to us right away. Nine kids is a hell of a lot to handle, especially when our hobbies include sneaking feral animals indoors and making homemade shivs,”

That brought a smile to Clementine’s face. A.J. had proudly shown her the latest shiv he’d carved just the other day before Katjaa had caught him trying to carve an apple with it and promptly confiscated it. Things were never boring at Ericson Farm.

“Would you like me to play another?”

She could tell from the look in Louis’ eyes that he wanted her to stay. He wouldn’t force it though. Clementine nodded.

Louis began another piece, this time a classic that Clementine recognized. The notes were complex, certain ones lingering before a myriad of notes cascaded across Louis’ fingertips. He’d clearly played this song hundreds of times given the ease with which he played. Clementine could see a soft smile on his lips behind his swaying dreadlocks. Louis loved this song. If she closed her eyes, maybe she could imagine they were in her parlor at home and he had come to court her on a chilly winter night.

The music was suddenly cut short. Clementine stirred from her reverie, looking to Louis. He seemed rather embarrassed. “Guess I mistimed that. I’ll need to crank the piano again,”

“I could do it,” Clementine rose from the sette, hurrying to the side of the instrument. “Like this?”

“Y-yeah,” Louis seemed as if he wanted to say more, but quickly turned away, eyes locked on the piano keys. After a full minute of cranking the piano was ready again. Louis jumped back in, effortlessly picking up where he’d left off and finishing with slow, lingering notes. It was silent between the pair for a few moments. The cuckoo clock ticked steadily in the background.

“That was amazing,” Clementine murmured.

“It’s all the piano, really. And the music.” Louis answered. “I don’t think I’ll ever be able to compose anything of that grandeur, something that captures the spirit like that,”

“But that song you composed for your mother, the tune you were playing when I came downstairs, those were just as amazing,” Clementine’s eyes narrowed at the skepticism in Louis’ eyes. “I’m serious!”

“You’re saying I’m as good as one of the greats?”

“I’m saying you certainly could be! You’ve got the talent and the drive,”

Louis seemed shocked by her words. He looked away and Clementine wondered if she’d somehow gone too far. Was he going to stop?

“Teach me,” The words were out of her mouth before she could take them back.

“What?”

No, she didn’t want to take them back. “Teach me,”

Louis hesitated for a moment before scooting over and motioning toward the open spot. Clementine sat down, leaving a few inches between them. Louis cleared his throat roughly before beginning. “Alright, let’s start with something simple. Press the A key,”

“Which is… where exactly?”

“Y’know, the A key,” Louis pointed towards the correct key. “Next to the B key, after the G key,”

Clementine softly pressed upon the key. “So you’re telling me they aren’t alphabetized?”

“Nope,” Louis chuckled. “Hit B next,”

Clementine froze. She’s already forgotten where it was.

“Do you need a hint?” Louis whispered.

“No!” Clementine scowled, but reluctantly rolled her eyes a few seconds later.

“Right… here,” Louis’ hand brushed against Clementine’s and they both flinched, hands jolting back for a second. But the moment soon passed. Louis directed Clementine to press the G key next and so on and so forth. It was only after about five minutes of instruction that Clementine realized Louis was teaching her to play “Hot Crossed Buns”. She certainly wasn’t mastering the piano in one session, but after about ten minutes more Clementine could piece together the tune step by step.

“Excellent job! All thanks to a wonderful teacher if I do say so myself,” Louis grinned proudly, tugging on the collar of his coat.

“Seconded,” The comment clearly flustered Louis, a fact Clementine enjoyed even though she chastised herself for feeling it. She turned back to the piano, looking at the stack of papers before them. “What other music do you have here? Any original pieces that’d be easy enough for me to try?”

“Wait, Clem!”

The sudden tension in Louis’ voice startled her. The pages slipped through Clementine’s fingers and fell onto the floor. “Shit, my bad!” Clementine exclaimed, reaching down to retrieve them.

“I can get them!”

But before Louis could act, Clementine had already picked the pages up and seen the one Louis had wanted her to avoid: a manuscript entitled  _ Clementine _ . “What… is this?” Clementine asked. Not that she needed an answer. It was a piece of music, one Louis had composed. And he’d named it after her.

“I wrote that months ago, before… everything,” Louis looked down in shame. “I’m sorry, I should have gotten rid of it,”

“You wrote this back then?”

“The night we came back from the barn raising,” Louis’ tone was wistful.

Clementine felt all the emotions she’d been holding back surging up inside her. It didn’t have to be like this. They could have been happy together. Everything could have gone right. She didn’t want to feel this way anymore, a sick, twisting sensation filling the pit of her stomach. How could she make it stop?

“Clem?”

She looked up into Louis’ eyes and felt her own start to sting. “I have to go,” Dropping the piece of paper, she hurried back up the stairs, into the girls’ room, bolting the door behind her. Now she was trapped. She should have run outside instead, into the woods. But everyone else was outside. She didn’t want anyone to see her cry. They would want to help, but there was nothing that could be done. Clementine crumpled against the door, feeling too overwhelmed to go any further. She didn’t know how to solve this. She didn’t know how to forgive Louis or if she even should. But she wished she could have heard her song.

  
  



	19. Marlon is a Doodie Head

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sophie writes a letter to her twin sister Minnie to process everything that has happened.

Sophie sat alone in the sleeping room the girls had been using since they came to Ericson Farm. She’d been feeling agitated in the past few days ever since Marlon and Mitch had returned from the hunting cabin. Thankfully both of them had possessed the good sense to mostly keep their distance from the girls, staying in the barn and busying themselves with chores. Still, the fact that they were just a building away had Sophie’s skin crawling whenever she thought of it. Some nights she could still feel Marlon’s hands as he held her down underneath that quilt. The day he’d arrive back at the farm, she’d noticed that the broken nose she’d given him had healed crooked. She was glad to know he’d always carry that mark as a reminder of what he’d done.

Sitting at the desk by the window, Sophie had a quill pen and some paper before her. She was doing what she always did on a weekly basis: writing a letter to her twin sister Minnie. This would be the fourth letter in a row that remained unsent, tucked beneath her bed until one day she had access to a post office once more. By now news of what had happened must have reached her sister. Sophie was sure Minnie must be frantic. Perhaps she had even considered travelling back West to find Sophie herself. Not that there was any way into the valley until the end of spring. For now, the letters served as an outlet for Sophie’s emotions, a way for her to feel that she still had a voice of her own amidst all the turmoil.

_ Minnie, _

_ Marlon and Mitch came back today. I wished they had stayed away longer. The only thing that makes my anger at their return more bearable is how happy it made the little boys. A.J., Willy and Tenn have been practically clinging onto their legs at all times since they returned. It’s clear how much they missed them, and Marlon and Mitch seem to feel the same. The whole thing makes me upset that I’m watching these events play out from captivity. If I had come here under different circumstances, I think I would have truly enjoyed my time at Ericson Farm. _

Some loud cries from outside had Sophie glancing out the window. Willy, Louis and Aasim had circled a tree and were trying to talk Garbage, Willy’s possum, out of it. The possum seemed unimpressed by their pleas, hissing down at them menacingly. The scene brought a small smile to Sophie’s face. Things certainly weren’t dull here. There was always something going on. Sophie continued her letter.

_ How is your flatmate doing? I’m glad you were able to find someone so soon after moving out East. From what I’ve heard so far, Renata sounds lovely. I hope I’ll get to meet her someday when _

Sophie suddenly laid down her quill. When what? When she escaped from this place and headed East herself? How would she get there? The original plan had been to take food, clothes and other supplies from home and head out from there, paying for a train to take her East. Once her parents rescued her from this place though, they’d likely never let her out of their sight. Marlon had ruined any chance of slipping away.

Her mind wandered to the argument they’d had before Marlon ran off. God, she wished she’d thrown those chamber pots at him when she’d had the chance. Claiming that he just wanted her to be free to make her own decisions and  _ that  _ was why he’d taken her? Did this look like freedom to him? If Marlon had really wanted to help her, he should have snuck her out to the train station, not some snowed in farm in the middle of nowhere. If he’d bought her train ticket and bid her farewell,  _ then _ she would have believed his motives were selfless. From there she could have rode the train all the way to Boston and…

_ And then what?  _ The thought rankled Sophie, worming its way deeper into her mind.  _ I never really thought that far ahead, did I? A week away from fleeing East and I didn’t have any idea what I’d do when I got there.  _ Minnie would have let her stay at her place for as long as she needed. Living with her and Renata honestly sounded like it would be a lot of fun. But what would Sophie do in the hours Minnie was off working at university? Sit around and make art, but to what end? She hadn’t been able to get a scholarship to any universities out in Boston like Minnie had. Would she try to sell her art out on the streets?

A worse possibility suddenly entered Sophie’s mind.  _ What if the scandal caused by my fleeing the arranged marriage had spread to the East coast and affected Minnie? Could she have lost her scholarship over something like that?  _ Prestige was everything to institutions. Housing her runaway sister, while not illegal, could have ended up ruining the life Minnie had made for herself out there.  _ Would I just have been a burden if I’d done as I planned? _

The hissing had grown louder outside. Sophie looked down to see that the boys had enlisted Violet’s help. She had joined Willy in climbing up the tree to reach Garbage. Now the two siblings were trying to corner the possum in such a way that would force it to jump down into Louis’ coat that he and Aasim were holding out. A chuckle escaped Sophie’s lips. What a wild plan. She had half a mind to go out there and join them. She wanted to finish this letter though. She returned her quill to the paper.

_ I hope I’ll get to meet her someday when times are better. I’m not sure exactly how I would have wrangled my way out of that joke of a marriage our parents had set up for me. I know your prospects weren’t much better when they were looking for matches for you. I’m proud of you for finding a way to escape all that nonsense and still stay within the family’s good graces. If only my art skills had proved strong enough to join you out there. We could have attended university together. _

__

Sophie envisioned what her days would have looked like within Boston. Maybe she would be able to sell enough paintings to make ends meet and get a place of her own. If need be, she’d distance herself from Minnie, at least until she had finished her studies at university, so none of the consequences of her running away would reach her sister. It seemed like a somewhat lonely existence, living alone with only her art to sustain her. She’d miss all her friends in Richmond: Brody, Ruby, Clem, Prisha…

A high-pitched scream came from below. Sophie looked down to find that the possum had successfully been driven down from the tree but had not landed in Louis’ jacket as planned. Instead it had landed upon Louis’ head, tangling its feet in his dreadlocks and hissing in an angry panic. Louis didn’t seem to be faring much better, running about with his arms flailing wildly and screaming for help. His siblings weren’t having much luck calming him or Garbage down.

She just had to capture this. Pulling out another piece of paper, Sophie began sketching out the scene before her. She tried to capture the heat of the moment, the way the possum’s eyes bulged in anger and Louis’ mouth was open wide in fear. It was certainly a picturesque moment. When Sophie had finished, she couldn’t help but giggle. Perhaps she’d gift the sketch to Louis later. He’d commented earlier on how lovely her art was when he’d spoken with her in the kitchen as she drew with Tenn. Her doodle complete, Sophie returned to the letter.

_ Perhaps it seems strange to say, Minnie, but I think once I leave here I’m going to miss it an awful lot. So many of the Ericsons are really nice. Of course you know Katjaa, but her husband and younger kids are kind too. I think you’d especially like Tenn. He has the makings of a great artist in him. You’d probably like Louis too. He’s a master at the piano. The two of you could do duets together. He’s played for us a couple times these past few nights. It’s a wonderful way to spend the evening. _

__

Sophie paused in her writing. Now that she thought about it, she had something nice to say about almost all the Ericson kids. A.J. and Willy were a hoot while Omar was a complete sweetheart. She loved the soups he would make whenever someone was feeling under the weather. Violet had proved quite kind as she’d gotten to know her too. She was shy and soft-spoken for the first couple weeks, but over time Sophie had been able to pick up on her dry, biting humor as well as her softer, more thoughtful moments. Aasim was also pleasant to talk with too. She always learned something new when they spend time together. She had no idea how someone living on such an isolated, rural farm could be so well-read.

_ When I first came here, it seemed like the five months we’d be trapped at Ericson Farm would be a torture. When did everything become so pleasant?  _ Sophie’s memories drifted through her mind, replaying the events of the last month. Everything had been so painful and heated at first, every word between the boys and the girls like pressing on an open wound. But one by one, the siblings had asked for the girls’ forgiveness, sincerely with no expectations of acceptance. Violet had been first and the easiest to forgive given the fact that Prisha had truly wanted to run away with her. Louis and Aasim were next, apologizing to the girls shortly after another avalanche as they attempted to excavate a path for the girls to return to Richmond had almost taken Louis’ life. Sophie knew Clementine had found the gesture hollow, but she’d appreciated the effort they had made to right their wrongs. After seeing the suffering they had willingly undertaken, she had a newfound respect for them and from there friendship had grown.

That only left Mitch and Marlon. Brody had spoken with Mitch the night the two boys had returned. From what she’d told the girls afterwards, it sounded like Mitch’s second apology was much more heartfelt and sincere. Being up at the hunting cabin for weeks had given him time to sort out his thoughts and truly understand his actions.  _ If I hadn’t gone up to the room that night, would Marlon have said the same sorts of things to me? Would I have accepted an apology like that? _

The first time Sophie had met Marlon, she’d found his candor and friendliness charming. The entire time he was trying to get a chance to dance with her, Sophie could see how much he wanted to have even a moment with her, and when their hands finally met and they got to dance for those few happy minutes, she’d found herself having the best time she’d ever had at a barn-raising. Talking with Marlon was easy, natural. She’d wished the day could go on and on so they could have as much time together as possible.

Now that was all gone. Marlon couldn’t be trusted ever again. He’d shown his true colors and how selfish a person he really was deep down.  _ But if I was willing to listen to all the others. Should I at least give him that chance?  _ What he’d said to her the day they’d fought had been true. Her plan of escape was shoddy. It took only seconds for the whole thing to fall apart. If Sophie had stayed in Richmond, she would have been married off to a man old enough to be her grandfather and if she’d left she’d have been dooming herself to a life with no prospects, perhaps dragging Minnie down with her in the process. Neither option was good, but for Marlon’s solution to be… this? Deception, kidnapping, brute force? She wished he’d spoken to her that night instead of tossing her on the floor of that carriage. Maybe then they could have worked something out together.  _ Does that mean if he’d asked I would have run away with him after all?  _ Sophie’s mind bristled at the thought. That was ridiculous.

The screaming from outside had finally stopped. The Ericson siblings were nowhere to be seen. Apparently they’d found something else besides possum wrangling to occupy their time. Sophie stood up, stretching her hands above her head. She needed a break from letter writing. She could finish later. It wasn’t like she would be able to send the letter anytime soon anyway. Spending all this time alone was putting strange thoughts in her head. She needed some company.

Sophie headed for the door, shutting it quietly behind her. Maybe Katjaa or the little boys needed help with something or the girls were back from their outside chores. With so many people around, there was sure to be plenty of things to do. As she descended the stairs, Sophie let herself land on one final thought.  _ I’ve heard the others apologies and things are the better for it. If Marlon wants to talk one last time to clear the air, I won’t say no. _

__

  
  



	20. The Unspoken Truth

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Now that forgiveness has been reached, Ruby and Aasim wonder if there's something more still between them.
> 
> Many thanks to taurusicorn2400 for helping me write Aasim's poem!

“Golly, A.J., I’m surprised I haven’t seen any tears from you considering how big this gash is!” Ruby looked up from her examination into the young boy’s eyes.

“It’s because I’m so tough,” A.J. declared proudly. “I’m gonna be just like my big brothers someday: Louis, Mitch, and Marlon!”

“Now what about me?” Aasim protested, holding up a cotton swab to the wound.

A.J. shrugged. “You spend most of your time reading and writing and stuff. That’s not very manly,”

“And playing the piano is?” Aasim raised an eyebrow.

“Now alright,” Ruby stated, stepping into the conversation. “I’d say there’s lots of different ways to be a man. No reason to think that one is better than the other. Besides, A.J., Aasim’s a great hunter. He helped bag that deer that Omar’s been cooking for supper these past few nights,”

“That’s true,” A.J. said thoughtfully. He hissed in pain as Ruby gently swabbed the wound.

“Sorry, Sug,” Ruby smiled sympathetically. “Don’t want any dirt making that cut any worse. Now I’m gonna put something on it that’ll make the skin around the cut feel sorta fuzzy, OK? It’ll help us close up the wound,”

A.J. nodded. His body was a bit stiffer, but his eyes still held the same determination.

Ruby applied the lidocaine before accepting the already threaded needle from Aasim. She turned to make sure he was watching. “We’re going to do a running stitch here. We just have to make sure the skin meets so it will heal back together,”

A.J.’s eyes were wide “You’re gonna sew my skin? Just like you girls do with the quilts?”

Ruby nodded. “But don’t worry, you won’t feel nothing. It’ll be over lickety split,”

“I don’t know if I like this…”

Aasim chuckled. “Well, maybe it’ll help you think next time before climbing up into trees by yourself and not having a safe way down,”

“Clem wouldn’t come with me this time,” A.J. pouted. “She had to help Brody with something,” The youngest Ericson child and Clementine had quickly grown as thick as thieves with A.J. asking to play with Clementine whenever she was available. When she wasn’t though, A.J. had taken to venturing off on his own, assuming his other siblings were busy with their own crises as the last month had proven. This gash was proof that they needed to keep a closer eye on him.

“You know what, bud?” Aasim put a hand on his youngest brother’s shoulder. How about next time you ask me? And no matter what, even if I’m busy with my journal, I’ll take a break and come play with you,”

A.J.’s face brightened at that promise. “It’s a deal!” With that, he was sufficiently pleased and Ruby and Aasim were able to begin their work. Ruby stitched while Aasim observed, asking question on tying knots and calculating stitch width as they went. It only took three stitches and the wound was closed. Ruby let Aasim do the last few knots before snipping the thread and examining A.J. with a smile.

“Alright, you’re all set now,”

A.J. jumped down to the floor with a barely remembered “thanks” before running off in search of some of his other siblings.

Aasim shook his head with a smile. “He never learns. Knowing A.J. he’ll be back before its dark with more cuts and bruises from playing with that feral possum of Willy’s.

“Well, if he does you’ll be all set to suture the cuts yourself,” Ruby’s hands were busy as she tidied up, humming happily to herself. “You did well for your first time with a needle. Most people get squeamish when dealing with human flesh,”

“I find it fascinating,” Aasim replied, collecting the medical waste to be thrown away. “I’ve been wondering for quite some time what I wanted to do with my life, and seeing you work has me thinking that maybe I want to explore something in the field of medicine,”

“Is that so? Why if my old man heard you say that, I bet he’d just be tickled pink! He’s been searching for an apprentice for some time.” Ruby paused. “Although I suppose the kidnapping would sorta put a damper on his enthusiasm,”

“That it would,” Aasim looked down at the floor, unsure what to say that hadn’t already been said. “Wait, why wouldn’t he train you to succeed him? You certainly have all the skills for being a doctor,”

Ruby’s smile brightened at the compliment. “I’m sure he would, but the people in Richmond aren’t exactly ready to see a woman as their primary doctor. If I’m lucky, maybe I’ll be married to a doctor who’d like a wife who works with him, like my ma does for my pa. She helps him all the time. My pa often says she’s even better than him!”

“Well, the townsfolk are fools if they don’t see your skills for what they are,” Aasim’s tone was firm, certain. He didn’t touch on her talk of marrying a doctor. To think that it could’ve been him, that if he’d been patient he could perhaps have been that very doctor she spoke of, was too painful to consider. Best to set such thoughts aside. They did neither of them any good.

“What are you planning to do now that this is done?” Ruby asked.

“Oh, probably write in my journal. A.J.’s right – it is where I spend most of my free time,”

“I bet there’s a lot of important things in there. You’re always thinking such big thoughts and planning for the future,”

“It’s mostly just rambling really,” Aasim protested, rubbing his neck as a happy flush colored his cheeks. “Nothing worth reading,”

“I don’t know,” Ruby shook her head. “I’d say the chances are good that someday there’ll be folks reading your journal entries, trying to figure out how you accomplished as much as you did. That’s what ended up happening with Benjamin Franklin’s journals,”

“There’s no chance I’d ever be as great as  _ Franklin  _ though,”

“Don’t sell yourself short. You’ve got the makings of greatness in you,” Ruby smiled warmly at Aasim. Realizing she’d held his gaze a second to long, she cleared her throat. “Well, I’d better put this away and check on Prisha. She had something she wanted me to look at,”

“R-right! I’ll see you at supper then!” Aasim exclaimed, stepping aside so she could make her way through. His eyes followed her as she bustled toward the stairs. An ache burned deep within his heart.

\--- 

Ruby hummed happily to herself as she sat upon her bed reorganizing her medical supplies. She had found some gauze and iodine she’d left out on the desk earlier this morning when she was cleaning up a gash on Clementine’s arm that she’d been too embarrassed to tell Ruby how she’d gotten. The other girls were also upstairs, tidying up from chores before dinner.

Brody grumbled to herself as she tried to force a brush through her tangled hair. “I swear to God, I don’t know why girls are expected to keep their hair long when boys get to wear theirs as short as they please,”

“Long hair is a sign of dignity,” Prisha replied, calmly brushing out her own thick locks. “It shows a good upbringing to maintain your hair well,”

“You say that,” Brody groused, “But you’re dating a girl with shorter hair than any of us, Prisha. So how does that make a lick of sense?”

Prisha opened her mouth to speak, pondered her answer for a second, and instead remained silent, returning to her hair.

“Gosh, I’m starving!” Sophie exclaimed, rubbing her stomach. “Those quails Omar has been cooking have been taunting me all day. Soon I’ll make them mine,”

“Omar’s cooking can make anything smell tantalizing,” Ruby replied. “But I’m sure those quails will be extra delicious. Aasim and Louis bagged ‘em fresh them this morning, so they’re bound to taste mighty fine,” Clementine and Sophie shared a look that didn’t fail to escape Ruby’s notice. “What was that?”

Brody bit her lip. “You and Aasim sure have been spending a lot of time together recently,”

“He wants to learn about medicine. I’ve been teaching him,” Ruby looked amongst the girls. None of them were making eye contact with her. “If someone’s got something on their mind, they should come out and say it,”

“Do you think, maybe… Aasim thinks it’s something more than that?” Sophie asked. “You wouldn’t want him getting the wrong idea,”

“Aasim’s been nothing but respectful to me,”

“Still…”

Ruby’s eyes narrowed. “Sophie, I know you’ve been going through a lot, the same as the rest of us, but don’t go mixing your own anger towards Marlon into my business. Aasim ain’t Marlon,”

“Oh, as if he did things any better that night? He  _ captured _ you, Ruby. In fact, he did it right after Marlon not ten yards away,”

“And I’ve forgiven him,” Ruby replied, her jaw set. “I’m not holding on to that anger anymore,”

Sophie shook her head. “Forgiveness is one thing, but the way you two have been acting around each other, it’s like it never happened. You’re practically letting him court you while you’re a captive in his home!”

“Now let’s not escalate things,” Clementine stood up, moving between the two girls with her arms raised.

“You’re one to talk,” Sophie scoffed. “I’ve seen the looks you’ve been giving Louis. Those times you’ve sat by him beside the piano. You’re ready to move forward with him too, aren’t you?”

Clementine paused. “I haven’t forgiven him. Not yet,”

“As if,” Sophie scoffed. “Maybe you haven’t said the words, but your actions speak plenty all on their own,”

“And what’s wrong with that?” Prisha cut in. “Shouldn’t that be the end goal? Things are more peaceful since reconciliation has been reached and we’re all the happier for it.”

“You had nothing to forgive in the first place, Prisha,” Sophie countered. “You’re the exception, not the rule,”

“Perhaps you’re right,” Prisha replied thoughtfully, setting aside her hairbrush. “Nevertheless, I think it’s fair to ask that you not hold your friends’ forgiveness against them, just as none of us would ever force an unwanted forgiveness from you,”

“No, this goes beyond forgiveness. You should see that clearer than anybody, Prisha,” Sophie turned away. “I’m going down to dinner,” She left without another word. The other girls followed shortly afterwards, silent as they dwelt in their thoughts.

\---

It was late at night by the time the girls returned to the upstairs room. The evening had held a certain tension as words that had gone unresolved still dangled in the air, unable to be mentioned in their present company. The members of the Ericson family seemed to pick up on the unease as well, striving to distract from whatever unspoken anger plagued the girls’ minds and keep the night agreeable.

By the time everyone headed to bed though, an understanding had still not been reached nor even attempted. Sophie had immediately thrown herself upon her bed and curled herself tightly in her blanket, her face turned to the wall. None had attempted to approach her. Instead they’d gone about their nightly rituals in silence, only the bare minimum spoken between them when the candles were snuffed.

Ruby was the last to let her head hit the pillow. As she did so, her eyes alighted on the iodine and bandages. In the heat of the fight, she had forgotten to put them away. Annoyed at her own forgetfulness, Ruby rose to her feet and reached for them. Rather than picking up the bandages though, her hand knocked into them, sending them flying across the floor and under her bed. Ruby got to her knees with a grumble, internally cursing as she rooted around under the bed. Her fingers followed the bandage’s trail, tracing it round the corner of a small box. She pulled what appeared to be a box of letters out from under the bed, freeing the bandage roll from the corner where it had gotten caught. After rolling the bandage and placing it back upon the nightstand, Ruby moved to push the box back underneath the bed. She paused though as she noticed her name on the top paper within the box.

_ To an inestimable treasure, Ruby. _

_ When first I saw your face, the world around me froze. _

_ The earth has beauty plenty, but none compares to yours. _

_ The sun can’t shine as brightly as the light within your eyes _

_ The summer heat can’t warm my heart when you’re not by my side. _

_ The earth would want for beauty without your dwelling here _

_ You, my love, are perfect. That one thing I know clear. _

__

Ruby read the poem again in confusion. What was this doing here? There was only one person who could have written this. She recognized his handwriting as well from the notes she’d seen him take in his journal: Aasim. He’d written this? But when? It had to be before the kidnappings. The boys and Violet hadn’t had access to the upper room since that day. Aasim had written this sometime after the first day they’d met and before that night that he’d carried her away.

Ruby’s fingers traced the paper, reading the lines again. He’d really fallen hard for her. She’d never had anyone write something like this about her before. Looking at the other papers, Ruby lifted the next up toward the moonlight, reading its contents. It was another poem, again about her. She sifted through the poems, finding hundreds of lines, both prose and poetry, that Aasim had written.

Should she be reading these? The thought flitted through Ruby’s mind, but the contents of the letters and poems seemed to suggest that Aasim had intended to give these to her. After everything that had happened though, is that still what he would want? She wasn’t sure. Either way, the temptation was too great. By the time she had finished poring over the contents of the box, Ruby could tell that the night had deepened and mellowed. Her fingers drummed the sides of the box. This was how Aasim had felt for her. Did he still feel the same way? If he did, then perhaps Sophie was right after all that things between them weren’t simply friendship. Or perhaps these were records of a bygone phase within his life. Either way, Ruby wouldn’t be able to rest until she knew for sure. She needed to talk to him.

\---

It was pitch black in the room where Aasim, Louis and Violet slept in the back room with no windows to let in the moonlight. Ruby stepped cautiously round the siblings’ sleeping forms, kneeling when she came to Aasim. Placing a hand on his shoulder, she shook his briskly.

“Wha-? What’s going on?” Aasim mumbled, sitting up sleeply.

“Aasim, it’s me. We need to talk,”

“Ruby? What time is it?”

“Late. Figured it was best for us to speak when no one else was around,”

“About what exactly?”

“I found your letters. Under my bed,”

Aasim was silent for a few seconds before rising to his feet. “I’ll get a fire started,”

\---

It took several minutes to get the fire started and burning with enough warmth to ward back the chill of the house in the midnight hours. Ruby and Aasim sat across from each other in the living room, both of them wrapped in blankets, silent. It was Aasim who first spoke.

“Those letters… I never intended for you to see them,”

“Never?”

“Never… since that night. Perhaps in the first few days after I took you, I still considered revealing them, foolishly believing that some grandiose display of passion would make you forget what I’d done. I soon knew better, but I also had no way to access the letters without intruding on your own privacy. I considered it best to leave their secrecy in the hands of fate,”

“And look where that left us,” Ruby’s tone was wry.

“I’m truly sorry,” Aasim’s tone was sincere, his gaze cast downward as the fire cast shadows along his face. “As I said, I hope they’d go unnoticed and become forgotten over time,”

“Did you?”

“Did I what?”

Ruby’s throat was tight. “Did you forget those feelings, the ones you had when writing those letters and poems?”

Aasim was silent for an uncomfortably long time. “Will my answer determine whether we can be in each other’s company anymore?”

That was an answer in itself. Ruby looked down at the quilt she wore round her shoulders, her fingers playing with the ornate patterns Katjaa had sewn throughout. He still felt the same way. She wasn’t sure how she should feel about that? Was anger the correct response? But he’d kept the feelings to himself, not making any romantic overtures toward her since that day she poured the ice water upon him. It wasn’t Aasim’s fault she’d stumbled across those letters now.

“Ruby?” Aasim’s voice was soft. “If you want me to distance myself from you, it’s entirely your right to ask that of me. Whether that’s temporary or permanent, I’ll respect it. I never want to bring bodily or emotional harm to you again. Your forgiveness is already more than I could have asked for. So say the word. I’ll leave you alone,”

She didn’t want that. As soon as Aasim said the words, Ruby knew it wasn’t what she was after. These past weeks being able to work with Aasim to help all the others on the farm, teaching him medical tricks, learning endless facts and wisdom that he’d picked up in his reading, she treasured those times. And they hadn’t come about lightly. They’d been the result of tears and blood on both their parts. Their reconciliation had been forged in fire. The peace it had brought her was priceless. Ruby shook her head. “I don’t want to lose you as a friend,”

“Oh,” The word was soft-spoken, surprised. A small smile crossed Aasim’s face. “I’m glad to hear that,” The silence stretched between them, the only sound the crackling of the logs within the fireplace. At last, Aasim cleared his throat. “If I might be so bold, if our friendship isn’t over because of this, then why did you want to speak with me about it?”

“I… I don’t know,” Ruby felt lost. Had this entire confrontation been for nothing? They were friends before, and friends they remained… but things felt different now. Knowing the power of the feelings Aasim had held for her, and in some sense still held, made it feel as though the way they currently interacted was somehow a lie. But there was no way around that, was there? Aasim would hold his feelings back and as for Ruby…

_ The feelings are still there,  _ Ruby realized. She looked into Aasim’s eyes, a pang shooting through her heart.  _ That’s why this hurts so bad. I still care for him, even though I shouldn’t. _

“You still seem upset,” Aasim stated, his eyes watching her carefully. “I’m not sure if I can do anything to amend that, but if you need someone to sit with as you think, I could read to you. It would help pass the time,”

Ruby nodded, only half taking his words in. She watched as Aasim opened his copy of  _ Plutarch’s Histories _ , his hands lightly touching the pages as he began to read. She thought back to the first time she’d met him and what a gentleman he’d been. Her parents had picked up on her attraction almost immediately and teased her thoroughly about it on their way back home. Ruby remembered lying in bed that night, her mind whirling with the half-formed dream of a future she’d never even considered before. Even in all the months since then she’d thought fondly of Aasim, the tall, elegant boy who’d taken her arm and graciously asked her to dance.

Then there was the night when he came for her, attacking from behind, a harsh whisper of “No witnesses!” all she had heard before she was carted off to the middle of the woods to be held indeterminately till the summer thaw. Aasim’s half-hearted apology had only fueled her rage further, causing her to strike out blindly, only saddened further by the damage she’d caused. That was part of Aasim too, a side that had thrown her into the darkest point in her life.

Yet here he was again, not the dashing dream of a man she’d met on that first day and not the calculating kidnapper of nearly a month ago. She’d seen worse than she’d ever expected from him, but better as well. When Aasim had apologized sincerely, the thoughtfulness and care with which he approached her and the dignity he’d shown toward her in all further interactions had helped heal her heart in a way that wouldn’t have been possible otherwise. They’d gone past a zero sum point of simply reconciling and started to build something together within the past weeks.

“Aasim?” Ruby interrupted softly, causing him to set a bookmarker where he’d stopped and raised his head to look at her.

“Yes?”

“You didn’t forget those feelings that led you to write all those letters. Can you tell me, are those feelings still the same?”

Aasim shut the book. Closing his eyes, he rested his head upon his chin, deep in thought. “No. They’re not the same. They’re stronger,”

_ What? _

Aasim bit his lip, his eyes still downturned as though afraid to face her. “When I wrote those poems, I was nothing more than a fool with a fascination, a flippant obsession. I adored the dream of you, what I believed you could be for me were we together. When I took you, it took several hard knocks to the head to realized how badly I’d treated you. All I had cared for was how happy you could make me, assuming I would somehow shape you into my ideal concept of a woman. Now I see that you are far more than I ever could have imagined. Stronger, braver, and kinder too. What I did was unforgivable, and yet you still gave me an absolution I could never deserve. You let me be your friend, to learn from you and understand you in a different way than I had before: your passions, your values. Those poems were written for a woman who lived only within my dreams. You mean far more than that to me,”

Ruby felt breathless. Her heart was pounding within her chest, making her overheat even as a shiver ran up her spine. “What am I supposed to do with that, Aasim?”

He shook his head. “I don’t know. But I wanted to be honest with you. It would feel wrong to lie to you when you asked me for the truth,” Aasim rose from his chair. “All I seem to be accomplishing though is paining you further. Perhaps it would be best for us to call it a night and reconvene in the morning when we’re better rested and-”

“Aasim,” Ruby’s eyes shot up, locking with his. “You mean more to me too. More than you did that day at the dance. More than I intended to allow you to be again,”

Disbelief and the slightest spark of happiness flickered across Aasim’s face before restraint brought control once more. “I… thank you,”

“Thank you? That’s it?”

Aasim raised his hands above him, shaking his head. “What should I say? What’s the right thing to do? I can’t approach you romantically, not ever again. Things can never return to the way they used to be,”

“Maybe they can be better,” Ruby stood from her chair as well, walking towards him. “We’ve reconciled, we’ve become friends, and we both admit there’s still something more here. Something bigger than when we even started. If all that’s keeping me at bay is my pride or some sense that I’m going against decorum, well, I don’t give a flying tailfeather anymore. I want to be happy. Forgiving you and getting to know you as you really are, that made me happy. And I think us seeing if there’s something worth going for here… I think that will make me happy too,”

Even in the flickers of the firelight she could see how flushed Aasim was. His lip quivered before he covered his face, a shudder leaving his body. “Ruby, I know you don’t owe me anything but please,  _ please  _ tell me this isn’t some sort of joke. Lord knows I’d deserve it, but-”

“This is real. As real as I’m standing here before you,”

Aasim uncovered his eyes. Reaching forward hesitantly, he flinched slightly when Ruby’s fingers found his. Their hands interlocked, providing lasting warmth within the bitter cold of the room. Aasim’s eyes met hers, wavering. “What if this is a mistake? I can’t hurt you again, and if this should fall apart…” He didn’t need to finish for Ruby to know what he meant. It would break him. The love he felt toward her was powerful, frightening… yet empowering too. Rather than being a force of destruction as its first form had taken, perhaps with these feelings growing deep within them they could build something new.

“I want to give this a try,” Ruby answered, her gaze steady. “We’ll both be careful, and we’ll take things slow. Whatever this is, it ain’t going away. And I don’t think either of us want it to,”

Aasim nodded. His grip on her hand tightened ever so slightly. He couldn’t seem to find the words he needed, standing there frozen. After a few moments of silence, his thumb moved against her hand, a humble, gentle caress. That said enough.

Ruby squeezed his hand gently. “Goodnight, Aasim. I’ll see you in the morning?”

“Yes, the morning. I’ll put out the fire,”

“Till tomorrow then,” With that Ruby headed for the stairs, swiftly climbing up to her own bedroom. Her heart felt light, the tangles and thorns of today’s arguments melting away with the warmth inside of it. She wasn’t sure she fully understood what had happened or what it meant. But she was happy. She knew deep inside, at her heart’s very core, that she’d chosen rightly.

  
  



	21. A Heart to Heart

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Katjaa gives her son Louis her perspective on where things stand for him and Clementine.

Katjaa was busy washing dishes in the kitchen one bright winter morning. Omar had left to work on curing some meats with Kenny and Tenn had gone off to do an art project with Sophie, leaving the kitchen empty of its usual occupants. Katjaa missed their quiet company but also found the moment of solitude peaceful. With such a busy house there was rarely time for herself, time to think of all that had transpired since she came to live at Ericson Farm and where things stood now.

Opening the kitchen door to toss out the dirty dishwater, Katjaa spotted Louis running around with A.J. happily bouncing upon his shoulders. She smiled at the sight; it was good to see the boys happy again, especially Louis. The past few weeks seeing her normally loquacious son so quiet and somber had frightened her. She’d worried if Louis would ever come to himself again. But it looked now as though things had taken a turn for the better.

Suddenly Clementine came from around the corner of the barn, her arms stacked high with firewood. Louis’ hesitance upon seeing her was immediate. It was clear from his body language that he was considering whether to approach her or slip away. But A.J.’s insistent tug upon his brother’s dreadlocks and his clear excitement at seeing Clementine soon had Louis walking over in her direction. Upon reaching her, Louis lowered A.J. from his shoulders and both boys assisted her in carrying the firewood to the house. It was a heartwarming sight.

Closing the door so as not to let any more cold air in, Katjaa returned to her work cleaning the kitchen. It seemed as though the girls had found their places at Ericson Farm. Katjaa wasn’t sure if it was proper to feel happy at the girls assimilating to an environment they’d been forcibly taken to, but it did seem as though everyone had come to a sort of peace together, one they all benefitted from. Nothing was certain for the future, but the peace they’d been able to achieve thus far was a blessing.

“Hi, Ma,” Louis strolled into the kitchen, shaking the residual snow from his dreadlocks and coming to warm himself by the stove. “Need help with anything?”

“Why thank you for asking, Louis. I was just starting to put some of the dishes away,” Katjaa gestured to the mountain of dishware before her. “We seem to go through them so quickly these days,”

“Of course,” Louis started picking up cups and bowls to place in the cupboards. “I guess it makes sense considering we’ve got over a dozen mouths to feed daily. The kitchen’s never empty,”

“Speaking of some of those mouths, where did A.J. and Clementine go off to?”

“Oh, Clementine said she found a fox den while she was out getting firewood. A.J. was dying to see it so they went to find it together,”

“That’s nice. It seems like Clementine has come to enjoy being at Ericson Farm. Every day she’s out in the woods hunting or helping with the outdoor chores. Farm life suits her,”

Louis looked down at Katjaa’s words, growing silent as he continued to put away dishes.

“Louis?”

“Yes, Ma?”

“It’s alright if you still have feelings for Clementine. It seems your heart toward her hasn’t changed,”

Louis shook his head, his dreadlocks swaying with the motion. “It doesn’t matter how I feel. I fucked up things in a way that can’t be fixed. There’s no taking what I did back,”

Katjaa decided to let the swear slip by this time. There were more important things at stake than her son’s manners. Reaching out, she put a hand on his shoulder. “I’m proud of you for admitting your guilt in the whole matter. There’d be no way for you to move on without acknowledging what you had done and apologizing for it. But that next step is exactly what you’re missing: moving on,”

Louis reached up to put away a set of plates, slipping away from Katjaa’s touch. “I can’t move on just like that. The guy I was that night I took Clem, that’s a part of me, one I don’t want to ever see again. So I can’t risk it,”

“Risk what?”

“The reason I took Clem that night, why I did all those awful things, was because I love her,” Louis’ breath caught a bit in his throat. “I don’t know how to reconcile that: how loving someone could lead me to hurt her so bad,”

Katjaa looked over at her son, noticing the way his breath had hitched as he spoke. “Are you saying that you’re afraid letting yourself love Clementine will lead to you hurting her again?”

Louis bit his lip, nodding. “It did in the past. What would stop it from happening again?”

Katjaa sighed. “Louis, the thing that led you to capture Clementine, that part of you that you hate… that’s not love. True, some people may say that actions like that, selfish, possessive ones, show how much you love a person. But they’re wrong. Love isn’t selfish and it doesn’t seek to harm. I don’t want you mixing yourself up and thinking that’s what your love really is. If you care for Clementine the way I think you do, then that’s what led you to feel sorry for what you’d done, to apologize and try to atone. Those actions were the ones that came from love, not the kidnapping of that night,”

Louis looked thoughtful at her words. He paused in his organization of the silverware, thinking. It didn’t seem as though the words struck deep enough though; his eyes remained somber. “I want to believe you’re right. I’d like to think love is like that, the good, caring stuff and not the bad. But that doesn’t change the fact that I’m the worst guy in the world for her. When she gets back to Richmond, she’ll have her pick of the town. She’ll find someone better for her there,”

“I don’t agree,” Katjaa’s tone was steady, firm.

Louis looked at her in confusion. “Ma, I-”

“I lived in Richmond for years. I know everything there is to know about that town and everyone in it. In all the time I was there, I never saw anyone make Clementine smile the way she did that day at the barn raising with you,”

Louis seemed somewhat flustered by her statement but unconvinced. “That was just a one-time thing. Whatever we built that day was ruined the night I captured her,”

Katjaa shook her head, taking Louis’ hand. “The spark that was there that day is being rebuilt. I see it each day in the way you look at Clementine, the things you do for her, the laughter and conversation you share. I see it in the way she looks at you,”

Louis’ eyes shot up at that one. Katjaa saw a flicker of hope within them before something inside Louis resolutely snuffed it out. “No, I can’t do that to Clementine. I’m not going to force myself on her when she’s stuck here because of me,”

“Louis, she enjoys spending time with you. I’ve seen you two sitting at the piano together and talking at the dinner table. The anger that she felt when she first came here is fading away. It’s barely a whisper anymore. When she looks into your eyes, Clementine doesn’t see the boy who captured her anymore. She sees the boy she fell for at that summer dance. For both your sakes, I hope you can see that the kind, charming, humble boy she cares for is stronger in you than the selfish brute of that night,”

Louis still looked unsure. Katjaa couldn’t blame him. It wasn’t as if a relationship would be easy to form after everything they’d been through. Yet when she saw them together, Katjaa couldn’t help but feel as though it was something that both of them wanted. Gently, she squeezed her son’s hand, placing her other hand on top of it. “I don’t want you to feel like this is something you have to do. I’m simply sharing what I see. And more than anything, I want you to believe in yourself, Louis. Believe in your own worth. The man you were than night is someone you’re growing beyond. There will come a day when you look in the mirror and don’t see him anymore. Till then, I hope you believe in who I see you to be,”

“Ma…” Louis’ eyes were watering. He pulled her in for a tight hug, burying his head against her shoulder. Katjaa wrapped her arms around Louis, gently rubbing his back as his body began to shake with his tears. He hadn’t been her son for long, but despite that they were connected. They were family and would be for the rest of their lives. She held her son close until his tears had finally quieted and he drew back, a small smile on his face. “Thank you, Ma. For everything,”

Katjaa reached up a hand, gently stroking Louis’ cheek. “You’re welcome son. I want you to be happy, whatever that may look like for you. You’re such a joy within my life. And in the coming weeks, I’ll need as much joy and help as I can get,” Her hand drifted down to touch her belly.

Louis’ eyes widened in realization. “Ma, are you…”

“Yes. A few months along now. I think it’s safe to share,”

“A baby,” Louis whispered in awe. “You’re gonna have a baby. Pa’s gonna be a pa - for the tenth time!”

Katjaa chuckled. “Yes, he is. I told him the news last night. He’s very excited,”

“I’ll bet! Wow. Does anyone else know?”

“Just you so far. I’m planning to make an announcement tonight. Think you can keep the secret till then?”

“My lips are sealed,” Louis smiled, going in for another hug, this one much gentler. “I’m so happy for you. For all of us really,”

“A new addition to the family… I wonder what his name will be,”

“His?”

“Kenny has a feeling it will be a boy,”

Louis grinned. “Exactly what we need,” His face grew serious. “Wait, what were you doing washing all those dishes on your own? You should be in bed or at least sitting down!” He quickly led her over to sit on the bench.

“Now Louis, I appreciate the concern, but I’ve been doing chores just fine these past few months. I won’t be stopping now,”

Louis knelt before his mother, taking her hands in his. “Anything you need, anything at all, you let me know. I promise I’ll help,”

Katjaa’s smile was warm. “I know you will. You all will,” A sudden thought crossed her mind. “Oh, on the topic of favors, can you go out to the smokehouse and check on your pa and Omar? I need them to bring back some meet for supper,”

“Will do, Ma! You can count on me!” Jumping to his feet, Louis was off like a shot, running outside to complete his errand.

Katjaa chuckled at his exuberance before rising to her feet. The news seemed to have sparked a ray of hope within Louis, one she prayed her words would reinforce and nurture. Things may not be easy for a long time yet, but if there was hope then anything was possible.


	22. A Looming Reality

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Violet and Prisha discuss what their options are once winter is over.

“Violet?” Prisha’s head popped out from the edge of the barn loft. “Do you need a hand?”

“I’ve got it,” Violet grunted from behind a massive pile of quilts. She and Prisha had grown sick of trying to find a private corner in the house or braving the cold outdoors in order to have some alone time together. With no preexisting options they’d decided to make their own space and thus Violet found herself returning to the barn. This time however, she was looking forward to being up in the loft.

Prisha made a tsking sound as she leaned forward and reached out her arms. “Don’t be silly. There’s no way you can climb up here with both of your arms full. Hand me a few,”

“I can do it,” Violet insisted, taking a step onto the first rung of the ladder. She tried to wiggle one of her hands free in order to grab onto the ladder, but only succeeded in causing her blanket pile to tip. In her efforts to correct the leaning tower of blankets, she slipped off the rung and fell to the ground, the blankets scattering to and fro across the barn floor.

“Violet!” Prisha’s tone was worried as she hurried down the ladder and pulled away the blanket covering Violet’s face.

Violet looked away with a sheepish frown. “I’m fine. Nothing hurt but my pride,”

“Pride is a foolish thing anyways,” Prisha replied, beginning to pick some of the blankets off the ground.

“Says the girl who won’t leave her bedroom each morning until she’s brushed and braided her hair just right,”

“Now Violet, how would you know that unless you’ve made a habit of waiting outside my door?” Prisha’s smile was almost cat-like as she looked toward Violet.

Violet could feel her cheeks flushing. “The girls talk you know. That’s all,”

“Mhm,” Prisha’s tone was still teasing but Violet knew if she protested any farther, she’d only be digging herself a bigger hole. Prisha turned round to face her once more with an armful of blankets. “I’ll start with these. We can take multiple trips if need be. There’s no rush,”

“Someone might come looking for us if they need us for some chores,”

“Then we’ll simply hide under the hay together,” Prisha quipped, looking down from the ladder with a coy grin.

Violet hid her face behind her blanket pile, too flustered to think of a reply to that.

It took a few trips after all, but eventually they had brought all the blankets up and formed a sort of nest for themselves in the middle of the hay in the loft. Pulling some of the blankets on top of them, Prisha lay back upon the hay with a satisfied sigh. “It will take a few minutes for our body heat to build up enough under the blankets to truly keep us warm, but now we’re set,” She reached out to take Violet’s hand, gently running her thumb along it. “Are you comfortable?”

“Yes,” Violet lied. In truth she was petrified. Cuddled up under blankets alone with Prisha… Violet’s mind was in overdrive. She didn’t know how Prisha could lay there so comfortably. It reminded her of the night she took Prisha. Violet had been a fumbling nervous wreck while Prisha seemed cool as a cucumber when she asked to be taken. Then again, Prisha had later confided in Violet how frightening the night had truly been for her so perhaps under the surface Prisha was feeling nervous as well. Hesitantly, she gave Prisha’s hand a soft squeeze. Prisha gently squeezed her hand in return.

“So,” Prisha said, turning on her side to face Violet, “Any plans for Christmas? I figure it must be quite the event with so many siblings,”

Prisha was thinking that far ahead? This past month and a half, Violet hadn’t let herself think beyond tomorrow. “Umm, I dunno. Omar always makes a great Christmas meal and we all stuff ourselves senseless. As for presents, I just try to put together whatever shit I can that I think my brothers will like. A drawing for Tenn, a song for Louis, some sorta weird rock for Willy…”

“You can write music?” Prisha’s eyes sparkled in interest.

“Just some basic stuff. Louis taught me. He wanted someone to duet with and he roped me into it,”

“I’d love to hear you sing sometime. You know, I have some background in music myself. I took voice lessons when I was younger,”

“Really?” Violet’s heart fluttered inside her wondering what Prisha’s singing voice was like.

Prisha nodded eagerly. “I’m an alto. Let me guess – you’re a soprano?”

“Yup,” Violet’s throat felt dry. Prisha was so close, her legs touching Violet’s under the blankets.

“Oh, how wonderful! That means there’s a slew of songs we can sing together! To think I didn’t know this about you! There’s still so much for both of us to learn,” Prisha caught Violet looking down at the floor, awkwardly picking straw off her blanket. “Do you not like the idea?”

“What? No, I love it. I just…” Violet’s voice trailed off. Something about Prisha’s mention of Christmas had sent a train of thought going in her mind, one she’d been suppressing for quite some time but now that it had been unleashed she could no longer hold it back. Before she fully realized what was happening, Violet’s lower lip was quivering.

“Violet? Are you alright?” Prisha reached up, cupping her cheek. She felt so warm against the chill of the barn air. Violet leaned into the touch instinctively, feeling a tear roll down her face as she let out a shaky breath.

“It can’t last, can it?”

It only took a moment for Prisha’s eyes to widen in understanding before falling. “Vi…”

“This right here,” Violet said, gripping Prisha’s hand, “Is perfect. But that snow is gonna melt and when it does…” a lump in her throat cut off Violet’s words. She gulped harshly to force it down. “They’re gonna take you away whether you want it or not,”

“I won’t let them,” Prisha declared fiercely. Her grip on Violet’s hand tightened. “I’ll hide, somewhere they can’t find me. I’ll go up to the hunting cabin. That’s miles from here and only your family knows its location. There are supplies up there too and we could build up more to last as long as we need. You can come get me when it’s safe,” Prisha paused, “Or we could stay up there together,”

Violet shook her head. She’d already considered that option. “I couldn’t just leave my family behind like that, not when they’d be at the mercy of the angry citizens of Richmond. Who knows what sort of things they’d threaten to do to Kenny if they couldn’t find you, and Katjaa…” Katjaa had announced her pregnancy to the family the other night. Everyone had been elated for her including Violet, but it did make her even more worried for what would happen when the Richmond families came up to the farm and Katjaa had to face them several months pregnant.

“You can’t risk it,” Prisha said, her tone somber. “I understand. I couldn’t bear if anything happened to your parents and siblings because of me. But I won’t go back either,”

“Prisha-”

“No,” Prisha’s eyes were hard as steel. “I  _ can’t  _ go back. The girl who you spoke to that winter night, she was dying inside. Every real, true part of me was withering away as I followed the path that had been set before me for a life and a future I wanted no part in. I’d never broken from it because I figured that was my lot in life, I could do no better. And then I met you,” Prisha’s voice warmed at those words. “Meeting you and knowing you wanted  _ me _ , it gave me hope. So I told you to take me and I’ve never looked back. I won’t return to who I used to be,”

She was so beautiful, speaking with such passion and conviction, her eyes burning with an inner fire. Letting her emotions take hold, Violet leaned forward and captured Prisha’s lips in a kiss, one Prisha immediately deepened, her hand sliding to the back of Violet’s neck. That kiss melted into another kiss and then another, both girls becoming lost in each other and the heat of the moment. Eventually however they pulled apart, just far enough for their foreheads to touch, their eyes closed.

“I don’t want to lose you,” Violet murmured, feeling her throat ache with emotion. “I haven’t fought to keep a lot in life – never had much to lose. All I’ve ever had is my family and now you. I don’t know what I can do to stop them from taking you, but I’m not just going to lay down and take it. I’ll protect you,”

“Violet…” Prisha leaned forward, kissing her again. “I’ll protect you too. We’ll figure something out – a plan that will keep everyone safe. Rather than burying our heads in the sand until the day arrives, we’ll prepare for it. Together,”

Violet nodded. She didn’t have a single idea on how they could prevent the worst from happening on that day, but seeing the light of determination in Prisha’s eyes gave her hope as well. The two smiled at each other only for the moment to stretch into awkward silence all to quickly. “So…” Violet cleared her throat, “Are we planning now, or…?”

Prisha looked round at the blankets and hay and warmth that surrounded them in their cozy little nest. “What you said before, about this moment being perfect, let’s not let that be lost. This still is a perfect moment. We simply have to reclaim it,” Her hand slipped down to intertwine with Violet’s once more. “There’s time for plans tomorrow. For now, let’s enjoy what we built,”

Violet could feel a small smile tugging at the corners of her lips. Leave it to Prisha to change gears so easily. She was right though. They’d put all this work to get to this moment together – might as well enjoy it. Shifting closer, she let her head rest upon Prisha’s shoulder. “I like that thought,”

“So… would you be willing to sing for me?”

“Now?”

“If you’re willing,”

“My throat’s a little sore,”

“Then we can simply talk. That’s fine too. Or perhaps I can sing for you,”

“R-really?” Violet’s eyes grew large at the offer.

“Of course. It would be my pleasure. Now, what to sing…” Prisha’s face scrunched in thought before brightening with inspiration. “I have just the thing,” Clearing her throat, she began.

Come where my love lies dreaming,

Dreaming the happy hours away,

In visions bright redeeming

The fleeting joys of day.

Prisha’s voice was low and warm as she continued, her tone taking on an almost dreamy quality to match the song.

Soft in her slumber;

Thoughts bright and free

Dance through her dreams

Like gushing melody;

Light is her young heart,

Light may it be;

Come where my love lies dreaming.

Violet felt so warm, so happy, so peaceful listening to Prisha sing. They had found their escape from the world here - even if only for a time – and they were happy. Softly, she began to hum along to the tune. The smile on Prisha’s face grew as she heard Violet’s voice joining hers. They continued to sing together, their voices intermingling in the crisp air of winter. And in that one moment, everything was perfect.


	23. A Sticky Situation

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mitch offers to help Brody with her hair after an unceremonious fall from a tree leaves it a mess.

Mitch rubbed his chapped hands together briskly. Holding them to his mouth, he tried to breathe some warmth back into them before picking up his axe and beginning to chop wood again. He was determined to cut so much firewood that they’d need to find a second place to store it all. His chores were done till the evening and with nothing else to do he’d wholeheartedly thrown himself into the task. He was about to start chopping again when he heard a commotion coming from the back of the house. Mitch paused once more, raising his head to see what was going on.

Tenn and A.J. were leading Brody round to the front of the house, apologizing profusely as they went. Each of them had their arm linked through one of Brody’s and were guiding her gently. Brody certainly needed that guidance; her hair was matted in a snarled, dirty pile and plastered against the front of her face. Despite her protests that everything was fine and that she could handle herself, the boys’ grip didn’t waver. They went into the house still chattering and fumbling with their words.

That was too strange to ignore. Shouldering his ax, Mitch made his way over to the tool shed to drop it off before heading toward the house. He had to know what was happening. Minutes later, Mitch followed the sound to find the trio hunched over the washroom’s basin. Brody had her head in the basin while A.J. and Tenn scrubbed at her hair frantically with some of Katjaa’s homemade soap. “What the hell,” Mitch murmured as he stepped into the room. “What did you two do to her?”

“It isn’t their fault!” Brody exclaimed, raising her head from the bucket and pushing her hair back from her eyes. “It’s mine for slipping like a foozler out of that tree,”

“That’s not true!” Tenn protested. “If it hadn’t been for me getting stuck up in that tree you wouldn’t have had to go up there to begin with,”

“It’s my fault for daring ya!” A.J. interjected, his lower lip jutting out in a guilty pout. “A climbing contest was a dumb idea,”

Mitch looked between the three of them, all looking ashamed and embarrassed. He couldn’t help it; a chuckle tumbled out from deep inside him. “You’re all a bunch of idjits, you know that?” He looked over at Brody’s tangled hair. It was still full of sap, dirt and twigs. All the soap had done was add a layer of scum to the outside of it all. “Tenn, go get me one of Ma’s combs and A.J., get me a pair of scissors. Actually, reverse that. A.J. get the comb and Tenn the scissors,” He looked over to see his younger brothers staring at him in mute confusion. “Don’t dawdle! Go on! Get!”

With that the boys ran off without another word, leaving Mitch and Brody alone in the washroom. Mitch suddenly felt self-conscious at that realization. “Figured it best to get those two out of your hair, or-” Mitch winced at the awkward wording. “I’ll go get Ruby and let her know you need help,”

“No!” Brody protested, jumping to her feet. “You can’t let her see me like this! If she knows what I did to get this messy, she’d never let me hear the end of it!”

“OK… do you want one of the other girls then?”

“Clem and Violet are out hunting and the rest of the girls are upstairs with Katjaa helping her make clothes for the baby. If any of them got pulled aside for as long as fixing this will take, the rest will wonder what’s going on. I-I can fix it myself! I just need…” Brody’s voice fell as she looked aimlessly round the washroom.

“There’s only one mirror in the house… and that’s up in Ma’s room,”

“Oh,” Brody half-heartedly reached up to pull a twig from her hair. “I could just use my reflection in the water then,” The two of them glanced down at the muddy water within the basin.

“I could do it,”

“What?”

Mitch scratched the back of his neck. “I mean, it’s not like I’m a pro or anything, but I did cut my brothers’ hair up until Katjaa came. The younger ones that is. Just quick cuts to keep their hair out of their eyes. I know how to handle a comb too well enough. I’ll be gentle,”

“Well…” Brody still sounded hesitant. Mitch was about to withdraw his offer when A.J. ran up brandishing the comb. “Here it is, Mitch! I got it from the girls’ room cause it’s empty right now,”

“And here’s the scissors,” Tenn added, walking forward at a much calmer pace.

“Great, thanks guys,” Mitch took both items. “Now go find something else to do. We don’t need this many people crowding the washroom at once,”

The boys hesitated for a moment but quickly scampered off. Mitch turned back to Brody. “So…”

“You can do it,” Brody replied, pulling up the washroom bench and sitting down upon it, her back to Mitch. “I’d probably get too anxious doing it myself and end up ripping half my hair out. I hate the stuff,”

“You hate your hair?” Mitch quirked an eyebrow as he straddled the bench and began to gently comb out the snarled knots. “But it’s so pretty,” He immediately internally cursed himself for those words but figured it’d make it more awkward to take them back.

“Oh. Thanks,” Brody’s face was tilted forward, impossible for him to see. “It’s not like I hate everything about it. It’s just so dang long. Maintenance is a nightmare,”

“Makes sense. If I had hair this long, I’d probably go nuts. That’s why I just chop mine off whenever it gets in my way,”

“It looks good. I mean-” Brody sputtered. “It doesn’t look messy. Or it does, but in a good way, like you don’t even care,”

A wry smile crossed Mitch’s face. “Guess that makes sense. Never like I ever gave a shit what anyone thought of me anyway,”

“You care what your family thinks,”

“Yeah, but it’s not like they’d disown me for cutting my hair wrong. Hell, I don’t think they’d disown me for anything considering the shit I’ve pulled and the fact I’m still around,”

“How did you meet your family anyway?” Brody asked softly. “Willy told me you all grew up on the streets before Kenny took you in,”

“He’s right. Marlon was the first one Pa took in. Back east, Pa ran a company that built stuff. Buildings, roads, shit like that. Marlon came to him looking for a job, and when Pa learned he had nowhere to sleep at night he let him stay at his house. A while later Marlon brought me by so I could get a job on the crew too. Pa didn’t even blink; he invited me to stay with him right away. Louis was the next one Marlon brought to Pa and then Louis invited Vi and from there…”

It was a long story and they had time for it. Mitch continued to tell how each kid got adopted by Kenny and the family grew and grew. With each passing year more children were brought into the home until it was practically bursting at the seams. There were plenty of funny stories to tell too, ones that had Brody giggling and inadvertently tugging at the comb as Mitch ran it through her hair, gently working out the sap, dirt and twigs from it and cutting out the unruliest knots.

The story continued into the journey out west. Mitch said that after adopting baby A.J., Kenny had declared they had to leave the city so he wouldn’t find any more ragamuffins to take in. In truth, it was likely the cost of living in the city that had them heading out of it. Kenny couldn’t afford to keep all those mouths fed on his own and out west there’d be better chances for all of his children to build futures for themselves without needing social pedigrees to get ahead in life. Mitch could tell Brody was enjoying the story. She was engaged in every story he told, asking questions and providing her own occasional commentary.

“So does your family have a story of their own? Everyone’s got a reason when it comes to moving out west.”

Brody shrugged. “Nothing that special. My father’s business fell through back East. Rather than starting from scratch in the city, he and my mother decided it would be best to come out West and see if they could make a life there. And it’s been a good life for me. They’ve always made sure I was provided for and safe,”

An awkward silence fell between the pair. Mitch paused in his brushing. “I’m sure you’ll be glad to see them again,”

“Yeah. I will,” Brody bit her lip, unsure how to continue. “How’s your progress back there?”

“Shit. I’m like… a fourth of the way through?”

“Only a fourth?” Brody turned to see the progress then dropped her head in embarrassment when she realized she couldn’t very well see what was attached to the back of her head.

“Yeah. These knots are insane. It must have been one hell of a fall to get your hair this tangled,”

“Well… It may also be because I haven’t combed it in a week. I let it go for a few days because I thought it looked passable, but then I couldn’t get my ribbons out of my hair and trying made me too anxious so I just went to sleep but that just made it worse and-” Brody cut herself off, taking a shaky breath. She was ashamed to admit how sloppy her hygiene had gotten while at Ericson Farm.

A hand came to rest upon her shoulder. “There ain’t nobody who gives two shits about hair ribbons up here, Brody. Well, except Ruby maybe It’s probably a good thing you didn’t let me get her after all,”

“Yeah,” A small smile crossed Brody’s face as she glanced up at Mitch. “This has been nice, spending time with you,”

A large grin overtook Mitch. “I’m glad. Glad I haven’t fucked up things so much that we can’t get along,” Suddenly his face fell, eyes lowering in embarrassment. “Shit, sorry I said fuck,”

Brody happily shrugged. “Ah, who gives a fuck?”

Mitch’s eyes shot up to look at her in shock, making Brody wonder if she’d misspoke. But then a guffaw broke from Mitch’s lips. He rocked forward on the bench as the laugh overtook him, his eyes squeezed shut as he continued. Brody giggled a bit too; Mitch’s laughter was infectious. “Shit, Brodes,” Mitch murmured, sitting back up to face her. “I didn’t expect that from you,”

“What can I say, I’m full of surprises,”

The two smiled at each other, holding eye contact for a second too long before breaking it.

Suddenly, coming from outside the washroom they heard Kenny, Violet and Clementine returning from hunting.

“Oh, is it that late already?” Brody exclaimed. “I’m supposed to help with dinner! How does my hair look?” She leaned back to look up at Mitch.

Mitch couldn’t help but chuckle. “Would it be mean to say you looked like shit?”

“Says the guy who hasn’t bathed since I got here,” Brody retorted, sticking her tongue out playfully. Her eyes darted back to the door. They could hear others welcoming Kenny and the girls back and moving towards the kitchen. “Shit. You know what? Fuck hair ribbons. Cut it all off,”

“You serious?” Mitch’s eyes were large as he studied her face.

Brody’s narrowed in determination before she nodded. “Do it. I’ve always hated it. And what better excuse than kidnapping to explain it away when I get back to Richmond?”

“What are you gonna say, that it got eaten by a bear?”

“I’ll have months to figure that out. Now quick, cut it before I chicken out and have to live with it forever,”

“You’re the boss,” With that Mitch began snipping above the knot on the back of her head. It was over in a matter of seconds. The odious lump fell to the floor with a near silent thud. They both looked at it for a second before Mitch returned to his hair cutting. “Just gonna tidy it up a bit. Don’t want anyone giving me shit for your new look,” His fingers now ran easily through Brody’s remaining hair, causing an involuntary shiver to run up her spine that she did her best to hide.

Mitch didn’t cut for much longer, only a few minutes. Finally the scissors fell silent and were placed to the side. He ruffled Brody’s hair one final time to get any remaining twigs or dirt out of it before lowering his hands. “Alright, it’s done,”

“How does it look?” Brody turned round excitedly, her eyes shining.

Mitch was speechless at the sight. She looked so happy, so carefree, so bright. He wanted to kiss her. But that wasn’t appropriate. Hell, it wasn’t even permissible after everything he’d done. Roughly, Mitch cleared his throat, hoping it would come out steady. “Not bad,”

“Oh, I wish there was some sort of mirror here!” Brody ran her fingers through her hair, playing with the ends. “It feels right though. Lighter. Easier,”

“It looks great,”

“From ‘not bad’ to ‘great’? That’s a quick improvement,”

“It’s growing on me already,”

The two shared a smile before they heard Sophie’s muffled voice from outside the room. “Has anyone seen Brody? She’s supposed to be on dinner prep?”

“Shit. I gotta go,” Brody’s eyes darted to the door. “It might look weird if we come out at the same time though. Mind if I go first?”

“Be my guest,” Mitch motioned toward the door. “I’ll wait a few minutes before I slip out,”

“Thanks,” With a last quick smile in his direction, Brody got up and slipped out the door. The reaction to her appearance was almost immediate as everyone in the house began commenting on her hair. After moments of initial shock, the remarks soon turned positive.

Mitch took those words in with pride. It was good to be able to help Brody. Sure it was just a little thing, but he’d made her smile. That was more than enough. After waiting for attention to die down and divert elsewhere, Mitch rose to his feet and exited the room, heading back toward the barn. He couldn’t wait for dinner.


End file.
